Darkness Reborn
by Silver1
Summary: The Digidestined are horrified to learn that a new Digimon Emperor has arrisen with three Chaos Generals under his command. The secrets this new Emperor holds will push the Digidestined to their limits and test the bonds of friendship between them.
1. Hail the New Emperor

Darkness Reborn

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 1: Hail the new Emperor

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Digimon's creatures, characters, or general storyline.*

Author's Note: This story will be using American names with a few exceptions. Largest of these exceptions is how I spell the name of Veemon's Champion form. I don't like the spelling "ExVeemon," so I use the Japanese spelling, XVmon. 

One important note about this story is that it assumes that the digieggs are gone. Some Digimon fans think that the digieggs/digimentels were destroyed in the battle with MaloMyotismon. Since each digiegg turned into an Armor Digimon inside the strange dimension, people assume that the digieggs vanished along with the Armor Digimon as the Digidestined left the dimension. Other people doubt this because it's never expressly stated that the digieggs were destroyed. However, this story assumes that is what really happened, so you have to keep in mind that the digieggs have been destroyed and none of the Digimon can armor digivolve now. 

That said, the only thing I can add is that I hope you enjoy my story.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

White-hot light burned all around him as feathers continued to rain down. In the searing heat he could see a figure falling from up above. The silhouette had six wings and clung to a staff in its right hand. As the figure fell ever closer, it resolved into a white-suited humanoid wearing a helmet and a blue cloth around his waist. The figured plummeted strait past him and continued his unwilling descent into nothingness. The being, who looked like an angel, stared directly at him before exploding into a cloud of tiny bits. "Angemon, NOOO!"

Takeru "TK" Takashi sat bolt upright in bed. His body was drenched in cold sweat and his hands were trembling. His bed sheets had pulled away from their tucked positions and were wadded up into clumps. He'd obviously been tossing and turning a lot. He looked to his left and saw Patamon sleeping soundly on his pillow. _Good, I didn't wake him_. 

TK leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. "That dream again," he whispered. "Always the same dream…" He quietly slid out of bed and crept towards the bathroom on weak legs that felt like rubber. Down the hall, he could hear his mother snoring slightly as she slept soundly. TK turned on the faucet and splashed some water on his face. His hands just wouldn't stop shaking. He gripped the edge of the sink with his hands until his whole body calmed down.

TK had been having that dream for almost seven years now. He was fifteen and in his final year of junior high. Even though it had been four years since the end of his battles in the Digital World, TK still had the same horrible dream of when he lost Angemon in the fight with Devimon. _Maybe I'll never be rid of that terrible memory_. He sighed. Lately, the dreams had been coming more frequently, and they had lasted for longer periods of time. Even though he always got a long sleep, TK woke up feeling even more tired than when he went to sleep. He shook his head to clear his mind and went back to his room. The clock on the nightstand showed that he had only about an hour and a half left before he'd have to wake up and go to school. _Might as well make the most of it_. TK slipped back into bed and nestled down against the pillow. He ran a finger gently down the back of Patamon's spin. The little Digimon giggled and stirred, but didn't wake up.

TK smiled. His friend was still with him and they had peace. There weren't anymore threats to the Digital World that would separate them. TK figured that a little sleep depravation was tolerable in exchange for peace.

********

TK had closed his eyes for what felt like two seconds before a loud buzzing sound, twice as annoying as the buzz of a Flymon, woke him up again. "Grrr…" He brought his fist down on the alarm clock and silenced its maddening shriek. He swiveled his legs onto the ground, then let out a small moan. His head was throbbing. 

Patamon stood up on the pillow. "Morning, TK." 

"Gugh…" TK felt like someone has shoved cotton balls into his mouth and down his throat. 

Patamon asked, "Bad night's sleep again?" 

TK nodded, "I'll live." With that, he trudged over towards his closet and pulled out his usual attire. This was the last year he could wear regular clothing to school. Next year it would be school uniforms and ties, just like his brother had had to wear. TK wasn't looking forward to that. 

TK showered and then dressed. He now wore blue jeans and a light green T-shirt with a white strip running across the middle. He'd given up wearing his white hat a long time ago, even though is hair was stilly slightly messy and unkempt. TK picked up Patamon and walked down the hall towards the kitchen. His mother was in her office typing at a story, as usual. "Morning, Mom."

TK's mother took a moment to look up from her computer. "Good morning, TK. Did you sleep well?" 

TK replied, "I slept okay." Then promptly stifled a yawn.

Ms. Takashi frowned, "You've been having nightmares again, haven't you? This has been going on for weeks! Are you sure you're alright?"

TK nodded, "I wouldn't get worked up over it, Mom. I'm fine." He continued towards the kitchen and ate a quick breakfast. "Gotta go, see you later!" 

"Have a good day, and don't push yourself too hard!" 

"Right, right." TK nodded as he headed out the front door with Patamon. TK ran to the elevator and waited for the doors to open. This was where he usually hooked up with Yolei and Cody.

Just like clockwork, the doors opened and there was Cody and Yolei with their backpacks. "Good morning, TK." Cody had shot up like a weed. His head now reached almost as high as TK's chest, which was considerable considering how much TK had grown in four years. Cody still wore clothing similar to when he was younger, a purple long sleeve shirt with docker pants, but his expression and loosened somewhat. He had learned to lighten-up slightly, even though he was still one of the most serious kids TK knew.

Yolei now wore a school uniform because she was in her first year of high school. It was the same design as Sora's old uniform except that it was colored navy blue with white stripes. She still walked with TK and Cody towards their school, but had to leave them halfway to get to her own classes.Yolei still wore huge round glasses that reached up to her eyebrows, but she had styled her hair into a ponytail. 

Cody and Yolei carried their Digimon, Upamon and Poromon, in their arms. Since there had been no threat to the Digital World in over four years, the Digimon hadn't needed a reason to stay in their Rookie forms. Thus, Veemon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon had reverted back to Demiveemon, Upamon, and Poromon, respectively. It was much easier to conceal the in-training forms from the rest of the world. Even though Digimon were slowly become a part of society, the Digidestined had decided that it would be safer for them to hide their Digimon for the time being. People still had to adjust to the very existence of Digimon. 

Yolei asked, "Ready to go?"

TK nodded, "Let's get going." The three of them walked along at a brisk pace. Before too long, Yolei and Poromon split off to head towards Yolei's high school. Less than three block later, TK and Cody reached their own school. Patamon grabbed hold of Upamon and flew up into a nearby tree. "See you guys later." The schoolyard was bustling with kids, especially on the soccer field. TK saw Davis playing on the field as he scored a goal.

Davis had changed his appearance as well. He no longer wore Tai's goggles. Instead, he had found a more unique pair that he thought suited him. They were square, just like his original pair, and the lenses were tinted light red. It was definitely a different look from Tai's old goggles. Davis had also borrowed a little of Matt's fashion sense and added it to his own. Davis now wore black pants and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He then wore a blue sleeveless vest over his shirt, and black and white shoes. TK had to admit that Davis actually looked pretty cool in his new look, but how he stayed cool in the summer was beyond comprehension. 

Davis spotted his friends and waved, "Hey, Cody! Hi, TS!" 

TK grinned. Davis had once gotten TK's name wrong as a sign of disrespect, but now it just a running joke between the two of them. TK waved back, "Nice shot, goggle head!" Davis smiled and went back to playing soccer. 

"Good morning, TK." TK turned around to see Kari standing behind him. Kari had grown even more attractive over the years. She now wore white Capri pants and a hot-pink sundress top that left her slightly tanned shoulders and arms bare. Ever the fan of pink fashion, he shoes were also pure pink. "Did you sleep well?"

TK shrugged, "I slept alright. A few bad dreams, but nothing too bad."

Kari nodded, "Feeling ready for the test in math today?"

TK smiled, "Never, but I'll manage." The school bell cut off their conversation. "Here we go." He and Kari walked toward the building.

******** 

The Digital World's full splendor could be seen from the side of Mount RAM. The forests and rivers spread out as far as the eye could see, but such beauty was currently lost on the small Digimon that resembled a green eggplant with feet. Datirimon hopped over a stone as he followed a trail of shimmering butterflies up the side of the mountain. The tiny In-Training Digimon was tired, but he knew that he couldn't afford a break yet. His partner needed him to be strong. Oikawa Yukio, the guardian spirit of the Digital World, had alerted him to a new threat and was leading Datirimon to the site of the disturbance. 

The butterflies flew ahead slightly and began to circle over the top of the mountain. Datirimon continued to run up the slope, wishing all the while that he'd digivolve and grow some arms! 

Finally, Datirimon reached the top and surveyed the landscape. "What am I looking for?"

Oikawa's voice drifted down from the butterflies. "You will know when you see it." 

Datirimon puzzled at what his friend meant, but the truth behind the statement became all too clear as Datirimon continued to gaze at the scenery. A tall black monolith stood out against the lush green landscape like a cancerous sore. Datirimon's mouth fell open. "A control spire?"

Oikawa replied, "Yes. Someone has created a new control spire. This one feel different, however. It possesses more power than the control spires that Ken used. I also sense a darker presence behind it. Even now I can feel the spire warping the fabric of the Digital World, and it is trying to confine both myself and the Guardian Digimon like Azulongmon."

Datirimon asked, "Can you get rid of it?"

If Oikawa was in human form, he would have shaken his head. "No. I do not possess the power to do so."

"Then what can we do?"

"We must call the Digidestined. They have dealt with this menace once before. I am sure they will be able to defeat it once again."

********

TK, Kari, and Davis were out of math class the very second the bell rang. TK rubbed his neck. "Another day and not a single dollar. That test took forever."

Kari nodded, "I know. If I never have to count beyond 5, I'll die a happy woman." 

Davis remained silent. TK looked at him suspiciously, "Davis? How did you do on the test?"

Davis kept his eyes fixed to the ceiling. "Well… I did pretty well… I mean-"

Kari said, "Just spit it out, Davis."

Davis' expression turned sour, "I'll be lucky if I get a 'C.' There, you happy?"

TK and Kari laughed. "Don't let it get you down, Davis. There'll be plenty of other tests." 

Davis slumped, "That's supposed to be encouraging?" 

A beep sounded from TK's pocket. He pulled out his D3 and saw that the screen was flashing a distress signal, just as it once had whenever one of other older Digidestined's Digimon was in danger. Kari and Davis' D3s were also signaling the same message. "Let's get to the computer room." 

********

Cody and Upamon were already waiting for the others when they arrived after collecting their Digimon. "Did you three get the distress signal too?" TK nodded. Cody said, "Yolei and Ken have already e-mailed me. They got the message and they're on their way to the Digital World now. And you won't believe what's waiting for us." He pointed towards the screen. 

TK and the others crowded around the monitor. Cody had pulled up the familiar map of the Digital World. Every square on the map was white, except for one black dot in the center. 

Davis' mouth was the first to fall. "A control spire? Where'd that come from?"

Kari frowned, "You don't suppose we missed one while battling Arukenimon and BlackWarGreymon, do you?" 

Gatomon glanced at her, "We missed one for four years? I don't think so."

Kari shrugged, "Can you blame a girl for being hopeful?" 

Davis said, "All right, let's just go there and knock the stupid thing down. It'll be easy."

"It'll just be like old times." Demiveemon said excitedly. 

Cody pointed out, "But what if it's active and blocking digivolutions? We don't have our digieggs anymore, so we could be putting ourselves in danger." 

TK nodded. One of the aftereffects of MaloMyotismon's attack was that the Digidestined had discovered that their digieggs had vanished when they left the strange dimension where all their digivolved forms had appeared at once. None of their Digimon could armor digivolve now, which meant that they might have more trouble with this control spire then they had in the past.

Davis said, "We'll never know unless we go there and find out. It's not like we've got a choice!"

TK agreed. "Davis is right. No matter what happens, we'll just have to deal with it."

Cody said, "That's what Yolei and Ken said too. Izzy is monitoring the situation from college, so he can alert Tai and the others if anything goes wrong." 

Davis held up his D3. "Then let's get to work. Digiport open!" The four of them and their Digimon were sucked into the computer. 

TK blinked as the residual light from the digiport faded. A quick check revealed that everything was in order. Demiveemon and Upamon had digivolved into Veemon and Armadillomon. The Digital World hadn't changed from what he remembered. There were still plenty of trees and crystal-clear skies. But the control spire ruined the view as its dark point sliced through the scenery. 

"Hey, guys!" Yolei and Ken came running up to the group with Hawkmon and Wormmon. Ken wore the same gray school uniform he had worn when he had first met the other Digidestined. The only big change was that Ken was slightly taller.

TK noted with some surprise that Davis, Cody, and Yolei were still wearing the same clothes they had worn on Earth. _I guess they don't feel the need to look cooler anymore_. TK and Kari's clothes hadn't changed either. 

Davis said, "Let's get going. I want to rap this up quick."

Yolei arched an eyebrow, "Why? Got a big date this evening?"

Davis rolled his eyes, "Ha-ha, very funny. Flamedramon and I knocked down more control spires than I'd like to remember. This getting really old." He grinned at Yolei. "You're not in any big hurry, so I guess you don't have a date either."

If glares could kill, Yolei would have taken out half the Digital World with the expression on her face. Even though she and Davis were best friends, they still had odd arguments now and then. 

The Digidestined walked towards the control spire at a semi-leisurly pace. Kari asked, "Do you think someone is trying to copy the Digimon Emperor's technology?"

Ken's voice was bitter. "Whoever is doing this is a fool. They have no idea of what their dealing with." 

Cody said, "I wonder if there are any dark rings or dark spirals near here. Whoever is doing this might be using the same techniques as before." 

"Branch Drain!" Several vines shot out of the forest and reached for the group. The Digidestined and their Digimon dived to the side as the vines wrapped around a nearby tree. The tree began to wither instantly and soon after that it dissolved into a cloud of broken data. 

A tree on root legs with a carved face stepped out of the forest. Veemon identified it. "That's Woodmon! He pretends to be a normal tree, but then drains unsuspecting Digimon of their energy as they pass." A dark ring encircled Woodmon's trunk just above his glowing red eyes. 

Cody said, "I guess this answers my question. There _are_ dark rings nearby."

Veemon said, "This is a little too much like old times." 

"Not quite." Gatomon jumped forward. "Lightning Paw!" Gatomon's claws sent a slice of pure energy at Woodmon, which knocked him back into the woods. Gatomon smiled, "I have my tail ring this time." 

Davis held up his D3. "Veemon, let's see if you can digivolve."

Veemon nodded, "Right! Veemon digivolve to…" The light from the D3 faded. "…Veemon? Aw, nuts." The blue Digimon slumped his shoulders.

TK said, "I guess that control spire is just as powerful as the old ones. Our Digimon can't digivolve."

Ken said, "That means that Gatomon is our best chance for knocking the control spire down. She's the only Champion we have right now."

Woodmon reemerged from the forest. "Lightning Paw!" Gatomon brought her claws down on the dark ring, shattering it. 

Woodmon blinked as his eyes returned to their normal blue color. Gatomon asked, "Feeling better now?"

Woodmon shrieked and began to run away from the forest. "Run away! Run as far away as you can! The Chaos Generals are coming!" 

Yolei frowned, "Chaos Generals? Could they be the ones who made the control spire?"

Hawkmon said, "I am not familiar with that term. They must be a new group of troublemakers."

TK said, "Let's keep going." 

They continued towards the control spire without any further interruptions. The black tower was located in a small clearing. TK checked their position on the d-terminal's map. There was a set of canyons nearby, as well as a lake and, of course, more forest. TK blinked as he looked at the map. "Guys, look at this!" He showed the screen to the others. Over two dozen sectors now showed control spire activity, with more appearing by the second. 

Ken said, "The spires are appearing faster than when I put them up. This must be the work of more than one person." 

Davis cracked his knuckles. "Okay, we'll knock this spire down first, then have our Digimon digivolve. After that, we'll take care of the other spires and look for whoever is doing this."

Kari nodded and looked down at Gatomon. "You ready to knock that thing over?"

Gatomon nodded, "It'll be my pleasure." She took one step towards the spire. 

The ground in front of Gatomon cracked and burst open as a small metallic disk protruded from the ground. All of the Digidestined jumped back in surprise. A light shown on the disk, and an image appeared in the air. It was a three-dimensional image of a human boy who looked to be about fifteen years old with dark blond hair. He wore a costume similar in design to the Ken's old Emperor costume, but with some significant changes. His costume was primarily gray with white patches and black lines. His small shoulder pads were light gray, as were his gauntlets. While the cape of Ken's costume had settled underneath his shoulder pads, the black cape on this boy's costume draped over his shoulders and fastened in the front. A black V-shaped visor covered the boy's eyes and the top of his nose. There was no way to see his eyes, which gave his face a soulless expression to it. 

The boy spoke in a cool, deep voice. "Greetings, Digidestined."

Davis stepped forward. "Who the heck are you?"

"I regret not being able to deliver this message to you in person, but I am on a very tight schedule. I'm sure you understand."

Ken said, "It's a recording."

The image continued, "This message is programmed to go play only in the presence of a digivice, so I know you will see it sooner or later. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the new Digimon Emperor. From this day on, I shall be the one who maintains order in the Digital World."

"Not likely." TK growled.

"I am sure that all of you will try to stop me, but I would advise against it. Unlike the former Digimon Emperor, Ken Ichijouji, I have prepared for your arrival. I already have a small army of controlled Digimon, and you no longer have your digieggs, so I doubt you'll have an easy time getting around the dampening effect of my new and improved control spires. I would advise you to quit now while you still have your health." 

Cody glanced at the others. "How'd he know about our digieggs?" 

Kari said, "Maybe he was one of the dark spore children who saw us fight MaloMyotismon. Only someone with a D3 can open a portal to the Digital World." 

The Emperor continued, "In addition to my army of controlled Digimon, I also have several key leaders under my command. Allow me to introduce one of them now."

As if on cue, the ground behind the Emperor's image exploded in a hail of dirt and pebbles. The Digidestined shielded their eyes from the downpour of soil. A faint growl could be heard over the sound of falling dirt. 

TK opened his eyes first, and quickly began to question his sight. The figure before them reminded him of BlackWarGreymon, except that this "type" of WarGreymon had a much crueler look to him. While WarGreymon and BlackWarGreymon's armor had been fashioned with curves, this creature's armor was cut with sharp angles. His armor was black with large gray sections and red trim. His head was triangular in shape, and the horn on his nose was fashioned more like a blade. He had blood red eyes and hair. Red four-pointed stars were fixed to the center of his chest. The two spikes on his shoulder pads curved upwards, and his claws were much more jagged than WarGreymon's. The shield on his back was also fashioned with cruel-looking curves that gave it the appearance of demonic wings. Everything about him screamed pain and torture. There was a look in his eyes that seemed to be the reversal of BlackWarGreymon's. This WarGreymon's eyes showed no sign of a soul, or compassion.

Emperor held a hand up to indicate the strange Digimon. "This is one of my three Chaos Generals, ChaosWarGreymon. He is a Mega Digimon that is far superior in strength to any other Greymon form. I'd wager that he'll have very little trouble dealing with all of you. He'll give you one chance to leave peacefully but after that he has orders to destroy all of you. I do hope you'll make the smart decision. Goodbye." The image faded from sight. 

ChaosWarGreymon stepped forward. "In compliance with the orders of my master, I am to give you one chance to depart without battle. Will you surrender and leave here peacefully?" 

Davis stepped forward. "Not a chance!"

ChaosWarGreymon nodded. "Very well. You will not receive any further warnings in the future." He raised his claws.

"Lightning Paw!" Gatomon sprang forward. ChaosWarGreymon held up his shield claw and bounced away Gatomon's attack like a pebble being shot of a cement wall. ChaosWarGreymon raised a claw to strike Gatomon down.

"V-Head-Butt!" Veemon slammed his forehead against ChaosWarGreymon's chest. The attack didn't phase the Mega, but Veemon was sent sprawling on the ground with a big red welt on his forehead. 

"Silk Thread!" Wormmon's net didn't slow ChaosWarGreymon down one bit. But while he was busy throwing the silken thread aside, Davis and Kari ran in a scooped up their Digimon. 

"Feather Strike!" Hawkmon's feather didn't make a dent in his opponent's armor. 

"Diamond Shell!" Armadillomon bounced off ChaosWarGreymon as well.

"Boom Bubble!" Patamon's attack struck the evil Mega's head, but he still showed no sign of even feeling the attacks.

TK said to the others, "He's too strong for us. We need to get outside the control spire's range and have our digivolve!"

ChaosWarGreymon replied, "That is unlikely. I will not allow you to escape. And, besides, you will have to get at least ten sectors away from here before you can digivolve."

"Ten sectors?" TK felt ill. They'd put up that many control spires in such a short amount of time? TK quickly considered all his options. Unless they escaped ChaosWarGreymon in the next few seconds, they'd all die. To the north lay a large lake, to the west the forest became thicker, and to the east there was a long series of canyons. They couldn't go back the way they came, because that was where ChaosWarGreymon would expect them to go. _If we split up, ChaosWarGreymon will only be able to chase one of us_. While the Digimon continued to distract ChaosWarGreymon, TK spoke to everyone in a hushed voice. "Guys, we'll have to split up so that some of us get away."

Davis looked at him, "_Some_ of us?"

TK nodded, "We can't all escape because ChaosWarGreymon will chase at least one of us, but that'll give the others time to hide." 

Ken asked, "What about the one person he chases?"

Davis said, "No problem. I'll get him to follow me. I can take care of that rust bucket!" 

TK said, "No, Davis, not yet! If you simply run off, he'll be on you in no time. We have to distract him first so that we can get a running start."

Kari asked, "And just how do we do that?"

TK wasn't sure how to answer that. "I… don't know."

Suddenly, something bright flash in front of TK's face and flew in towards ChaosWarGreymon. "What the?" A cloud of glowing butterflies swarmed around the Mega's head and began to dive in at his eyes. ChaosWarGreymon growled and slashed at the butterflies that blinded his view, but they continually avoided his attacks.

A voice came from the butterflies. "Run! I will hold him as long as I can!"

Ken's voice was filled with disbelief, "Oikawa?"

"RUN! I am losing strength and will soon be unable to help you. You must escape and save both worlds. Please, hurry!"

Davis nodded, "Let's go, guys! Everyone split up and we'll find each other using the D3s." The Digidestined scooped up their Digimon and took off in different directions. Cody and Yolei headed north, towards the lake. Davis and Ken ran deeper into the forest. TK and Kari ran towards the canyons. Things were looking anything but hopeful.

********

With a howl of annoyance and rage, ChaosWarGreymon released blast of pure energy from his body. The butterflies scattered and vanished into thin air. "Annoying pests." The guardian spirits of this world would soon be sealed away forever. ChaosWarGreymon looked around the forest. The scent of Digidestined was strong, but they had eluded his wrath, for now. 

ChaosWarGreymon sent out a mental signal to every dark ring and dark spiral in the area. _Find the Digidestined and bring them before me._ Given the number of controlled Digimon in the area, there was no way the Digidestined could elude detection forever. And since they only had one Champion available while the others could not digivolve, it would be a small task to destroy them. 

There was a momentary feeling of regret that accompanied that realization. Such a pathetic challenge should not be worth his time. But his master had ordered him to finish the Digidestined once and for all, and that was what he had every intention of doing, challenge or no challenge.

ChaosWarGreymon took to the air and flew towards the canyons that lay in the west. He could smell a Gatomon and a Patamon heading in that direction. _I will eliminate the Gatomon myself, thus removing the highest threat_. He allowed himself a brief moment of pleasure. He always enjoyed a good hunt. It was just as the Dark Master Machinedramon had said, "Ask any rat catcher; the chase is part of the fun."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's a seemingly hopeless situation, but there are a few surprises in next chapter of "Darkness Reborn."

Author's Note: I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I'm writing this in conjunction with another fic, "The Outcast." I'm writing two separate stories at once so as not to become bored with one plotline. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Please feel free to write a review.


	2. Power Resurrection

Darkness Reborn

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 2: Power Resurrection

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon's creatures or characters. ChaosWarGreymon is partially my own design, but is also inspired by the Digimon World 2 video game.*

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took forever to publish. I've been busy getting back to college and setting up my new house.

There are some special thanks to give out. I'd like to give extra special thanks to ChrsDud, DaisukeFire, and Josh the Critic, all of whom have helped me improve my skills as a writer. ChrsDud has helped me by checking the spelling on my stories (no small task, I assure you). Josh the Critique recommended that I work on my descriptions and creative language, so I asked DaisukeFire (a very talented writer that is listed on my favorites list. Please check out his stories, they're wonderfully written) to be my beta reader. This chapter wouldn't be possible without their collective input. It's my hope that my stories will improve with their advice.

Since I'm trying to improve my writing style, don't be surprised if this chapter is a little different from my earlier works. I hope everyone still enjoys it, and I'd welcome any constructive criticism and advice. I need all the help I can get. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Davis had never been a huge fan of bugs, but he'd never imagined that he'd actually run away from one. Then again, he'd never even imagined being chased by a 15-foot beetle either! Yet that was what he and his friends were doing. He heard a crash just a few feet behind him, signaling that their pursuer was still following them. Davis risked a glance back. The monstrous creature's face was contorted into a snarl, and small pools of drool fell from the gaping maw of its mouth. Its claws flung about wildly, as if they were controlled by a will of their own; namely, the will to slice open the nearest living creature. Davis suddenly wished he'd kept looking forward.

As Davis, Ken, and their Digimon fled through the forest, Kuwagamon cut down tree after tree as it pursued them. Several tree trunks exploded into shards of wood when Kuwagamon's claws smashed against them. Other trees were uprooted and flick aside by the massive pincers that enclosed around Kuwagamon's mouth.Davis knew that Kuwagamon were ill tempered by nature, but they were downright ferocious when a dark ring was clamped around one of its claws. 

"Duck!" Ken shouted as he dove to the ground. Davis jumped forward and lay sprawled. His blue jacket was flipped over his face as a whirlwind passed overhead. Kuwagamon was now ahead of them. Davis barely had a chance to roll out of the way of a falling tree trunk. _This is nuts! If only Veemon could digivolve._

Ken wrapped an arm under Davis' arm and hauled him to his feet. "Come on! He's coming back!" Kuwagamon was looping around for another attack.

Wormmon called, "Everyone, this way!" He indicated a path through the forest. Davis and Ken sprinted after their Digimon towards a large oak tree that stood slightly independent of the surrounding foliage. 

Davis shouted, "You want us to hide behind a tree? _That's_ a genius move! Kuwagamon'll just smash it down!"  
Wormmon didn't slow down to look back, "Trust me. Just run strait for that tree and don't slow down, no-matter-what!" Wormmon put all his strength into bounding across the forest floor.

_Thump._

Davis looked up to his right and saw a flash of blue streak by. Veemon had tripped and fallen. A small cloud of dust had kicked up around his friend. Davis skidded to a stop and doubled back for his partner.

Ken called, "Davis!"

"Keep going!" Davis shouted over his shoulder. He knelt down and scooped Veemon up. "I gotcha, buddy." 

"Thanks, Davis."  
"GWROOOAA!" Davis looked up to see Kuwagamon diving towards them. Davis started to run again towards the tree Wormmon had indicated. Ken and Wormmon were nowhere to be seen. They were probably hiding out of sight behind the tree.

Veemon ordered, "Just close your eyes and run strait for that tree!"

_Am I the only one who has a problem with that?_ Davis didn't understand why everyone was so eager to have him break his nose, but it was probably better than being caught by Kuwagamon. Davis shut his eyes and charged forward.

Kuwagamon's roar thundered in Davis' ears as he put all his strength into running. His heart thrashed against his ribs while his lungs screamed for more air. He ran in darkness for what seemed like an eternity. Davis' foot snagged on something, and he began to stumble forward. He braced himself for collision with the ground, but instead he rebounded off something soft and warm, with a muffled beat nearby. A loud "off" sounded from whatever he'd just hit.

Davis opened his eyes and half-expected to see a sneering Digimon looming over him, but instead he saw Ken lying sprawled on top of Wormmon. Ken groaned, "Nice entrance."

Wormmon moaned, "Ken, please get off me."

Davis surveyed the situation. Veemon was unharmed, but he was lying dazed on Davis' chest after being sandwiched between Davis and Ken. Davis' head was soar from the fall, and his heart felt like it was going to give out.

It was then that Davis had noticed that he had been transported from the forest to some kind of strange cylindrical room. It was large with smooth metallic-blue panels segmented with a white gridline. The walls were warm to the touch. They were as firm as metal, but had a plastic sensation to them. 

"GROOOAAA!" Davis scrambled to his feat in a chaotic frenzy at the ear-splitting sound of Kuwagamon's scream. Had they been followed? He was about to shout a warning to the others when Ken placed his hand over Davis' mouth. Ken pressed a finger to his lips to signal for silence. 

Davis' heard Kuwagamon's roar several times, accompanied by crashing sounds. Davis heart pounded with every second while he expected Kuwagamon to rip through the blue wall. But, after several moments, Kuwagamon's roars faded into the distance. Davis' muscled relaxed and his slumped back onto the floor. 

Ken took his hand off Davis' mouth. "We should be safe here for a little while."

Davis asked, "Where the heck are we?"

Wormmon said, "This is a 'hiding tree.'"

"Hiding tree?"

Veemon nodded, "It's a hollow tree that looks solid from the outside. Small Digimon can hide in these whenever they need to get away from larger Digimon."

Ken nodded, "Or when they're being chased by a horde of controlled Digimon." 

Things hadn't gone well for their small group after escaping from ChaosWarGreymon. They had stumbled through the forest until they were sure that they weren't being pursued. ChaosWarGreymon must have gone after the others instead. That wasn't a very comforting thought. Unfortunately, just as they had stopped to rest, several Floramon had ambushed them. Veemon and Wormmon had dealt with them easily enough, although they hadn't been able to get the dark rings off the captive Floramon. They had been forced to flee once again when Kuwagamon had appeared. Now, Davis didn't have the slightest idea where they were. 

He pulled out his D3. "Let's see where the others are." He activated the detect feature, but the screen remained blank. "What the?" Davis gave his digivice a shake.

He was about to try whacking it when Ken said, "The Digimon Emperor is probably blocking the signal." He too had been checking his D3.

Davis sighed, "So now we can't even find the others. This new Emperor really has us on the ropes."

"Heh, heh…" Davis looked over at Ken who was staring at the ground and chuckling to himself. 

"Um, Ken?"

Ken tilted his head back and began to laugh hysterically, "Ah ha ha ha ha!" His mouth pulled back in a wide gaping smile, and his eyes had shrunk to tiny beads. His gazed seemed to drift about without focusing on anything near him. Rather, he seemed to drift about, lost. 

_Oh, great. Now Ken's lost it._ Davis knew he should be sympathetic, but he was tired, hot, and worried. He didn't have time to put up with this nonsense. He glared at Ken. "Am I gonna have to slap you? Get with it, Ken!"

Wormmon placed a small paw on Ken's knee. "Ken, please calm down."

Ken raised his fist and slammed it down on the ground with such force that Davis, Veemon, and Wormmon all jumped back in surprise. "This is so ironic," Ken shook his head, "Here I am, the former Digimon Emperor, outdone by a newbie." He looked up with tears in his eyes. "Why do I feel like this is all my fault?" The tears poured down along his cheeks in small rivers, and his lip trembled. Ken sat down and wrapped his arms around his legs.

Wormmon said, "It's not! Don't say things like that!"

Ken insisted, "But if I had never become the Digimon Emperor, if I had never abused my knowledge, this new Emperor wouldn't have so many tools at his disposal. It's as if I created this new Emperor, just as I created Kimeramon." 

Davis snapped, "Don't start that again! You got over your guilt years ago, Ken. Don't start blaming yourself for everything now. You don't know what might have happened if you hadn't become the Digimon Emperor. This new guy might still have caused trouble, with or without you. Besides, we don't have time for a guilt trip right now!"

Ken took several deep breaths, then dried his eyes and stood up. "You're right. The most important thing now is to find the others and defeat the Digimon Emperor." 

Veemon suggested, "Let's go outside and see what's going on." He crept up to the wall of the hiding tree and slowly poked his head out. After a few moments he pulled his head in and said, "It looks like Kuwagamon left. I don't see him anywhere"

Davis nodded, "Let's head out. No point in waitin' around." He stepped through the wall back into the forest. Several nearby trees had been uprooted, and many more were sliced in half. Kuwagamon had definitely left his mark, but there was another feeling seeping through the forest. 

There were no sounds at all. The Digital World had no birds to sing, but there weren't any other sounds that Davis usually heard within a forest. No Digimon called out or roared, water from streams trickled only in some mute zone far from Davis' ears, and it seemed as if even the wind was forbade from blowing. The entire forest was hushed, controlled, and oppressed. Even though he wasn't there physically, Davis could feel the Digimon Emperor's hand reaching out to snatch up everything in sight. 

Davis looked back at the hiding tree. Large and thick with many branches stretching out from its top, it still held no unique traits in contrast to the other trees. He asked Wormmon, "How'd you know the hiding tree was here?"

Wormmon said, "You can recognize a hiding tree if you know what to look for. And since I'm a small insect Digimon, I often need a good hiding place."

Ken patted Wormmon's head, "Lucky for us you knew what to do. Thank you, Wormmon. You did an excellent job." Wormmon blushed.

"Help! Help!" A voice cried from farther into the forest.

Davis looked at Veemon. "Let's go!" They took off, weaving through the trees.

Ken called, "Davis, wait! Have you forgotten that our Digimon can't digivolve? Davis!" Davis didn't slow down; he continued to dodge past trees as he charged forward. Ken sighed and ran after them. _Head strong and heroic, the worst and best combination_.

They ran through the trees to a large clearing. Davis and Ken instantly spotted the source of the trouble: a DarkTyrannomon with a dark ring around his neck. Near the DarkTyrannomon's feet was a small Digimon, probably an In-Training. The short Digimon's body was round with a bright green body and two pudgy feet, Ken recognized the Digimon's color and shape. "Is that...?"  
Davis noticed it too, "Datirimon?"

Datirimon ran away as fast as he could, but one step from DarkTyrannomon covered leagues more than Datirimon could ever dream of.

Davis ran forward with Veemon. "V-head-butt!" Veemon banged his head against DarkTyrannomon's leg. The Dinosaur-like Digimon looked down at his new assailants and roared angrily.

Davis scooped up Datirimon and ran back towards Ken. "Long time no see, Datirimon."

Datirimon replied, "Hiya! I've been looking all over for you." He was surprisingly happy for an exhausted Digimon that was about to be stomped on.

Ken shouted, "Davis, hurry! He's going to use his Fire Blast!" DarkTyrannomon was opening his mouth. Flames could be seen glowing in the back of his throat. 

"Sticky Net!" Wormmon fired a ball of silk at DarkTyrannomon. The ball struck against the Digimon's eye. He roared in confusion and anger as he clawed at his left eye, trying to get the sticky silk off.

"Let's get outta here!" Davis signaled a retreat, his least favorite activity. He might have been headstrong, but Davis definitely wasn't suicidal. Veemon and Wormmon didn't stand a chance against a Champion-level Digimon.

"GRAWOOO!" An all-too-familiar roar came from behind the trees. Kuwagamon cut a path into the clearing in front of Davis and Ken.

Ken said, "He's got the worst sense of timing!"

"Not to mention bad breath." Davis ordered, "Head the other way." They turned to run, but a massive black leg descended to block their path. DarkTyrannomon glared down at them with both eyes shinning red. 

The situation was obvious to both boys. They couldn't run and they couldn't fight. In sort, they were trapped. Ken looked at Davis with defeat in his eyes, "It's been great knowing you, Davis. Thanks for everything."

Davis' response was less gentle, "Don't talk like that! We're not finished yet. There's no way I'm gonna give up now!"

Datirimon hoped down from Davis' arms. "Davis is right. You can't quit now! We gotta beat the Digimon Emperor!"

Wormmon asked, "But we can't even digivolve; how are we supposed to fight?" Kuwagamon and DarkTyrannomon advanced ever closer.

Datirimon said, "I'll help you fight." He closed his eyes and set his face to a look of deep concentration. Datirimon's body began to glow a blindingly bright white. The light expanded into a shinning dome that encompassed Ken, Davis, and their Digimon. Kuwagamon and DarkTyrannomon roared and staggered back from the blinding light.

Davis squinted in the white glare, but he didn't seem to be hurt like the controlled Digimon were. The only discomfort he felt was a little ploom of heat on in his chest. _Must be something I ate_. What a time to have heartburn…

"What?" Ken looked down at his waist. The crest of kindness glowed light red as it floated out of Ken's pocket and into the air. Davis could feel the energy pouring off of it. The heat Davis felt emanating off the crest was the same as the heat in his chest. 

Davis looked down at his chest. "Whoa!" The crests of courage and friendship shown over his heart. Their light was strong enough to be seen clearly through his black shirt. "These… these are…" Davis had never expected to see the crests of his digieggs ever again. The crest symbols floated off of Davis' chest and hovered next to the crest of kindness. 

Datirimon's eyes snapped open and flashed white as he stared at the crests. Several balls of light began to grow from the crests. Flaming streaks of orange surrounded the crest of courage, navy lightning emerged around the crest of friendship, and the crest of kindness produced a light crimson sphere. 

In a final flash of brilliance, the energy spheres resolved into three digieggs. Datirimon said, "These are your digieggs, created from your own crest power. They're the digieggs of courage, friendship, and kindness." The digieggs of courage and friendship looked the same as Davis remembered them. The digiegg of courage was round with flames curving up the shell and a spike protruding out near the top. TK's past description of the black-colored digiegg of friendship, "a flip-flop with a bent nail in it," still fit best. The third digiegg, the one created from the crest of kindness, was carved like the closed petals of a rose. It was pink with red crests of kindness displayed on the outer petals. 

Ken's first reaction upon seeing the digiegg of kindness was to snatch it and hide it from view. If Davis saw that Ken had gotten what would be considered a "girly" digiegg, he'd probably never hear the end of it. But, instead, Ken just stared in wonder. No matter how embarrassing it might look, this new digiegg was a way to have Wormmon digivolve again. Pride could be sacrificed in exchange for a fighting chance. 

The digieggs floated to their respective owners. Davis smiled at Ken, "Ready to give your digiegg a try?"

Ken nodded, "I remember watching you use these things. If you can do it, then so can I!"

Datirimon said, "Yep! You can do it. Wormmon has the power to armor digivolve, just like Veemon."

Davis said, "Dibs on Kuwagamon!"

"Alright." Ken allowed himself a sly smile. "Wormmon and I can deal with DarkTyrannomon."

Davis looked at his partner. "Just like the old times, right, Veemon? Which one do you wanna use?"

Veemon smiled, "Courage!"  
Davis held up the digiegg of courage. "Digiarmor energize!" Orange light flashed out from the egg.

"Veemon armor digivolve to… Flamedramon: The Fire of Courage!" 

Ken looked at his digiegg. "Here goes… Digiarmor energize!" Red light burst out and surrounded Wormmon.

"Wormmon armor digivolve to… Puttimon: Cute Kindness!"

Ken's mouth fell open when he saw Wormmon's new armor form. Puttimon was a short impish Digimon that looked nothing like an insect. He wore a white body suit with red oversized boots and gloves. On his head he wore a red hood with two long tendrils arching back and ending in heart-shaped points. His face was round and pudgy with a button-like nose and round black eyes. Ken looked from the dragon-man Flamedramon to the sprightly Puttimon and wondered how his armor Digimon could look so…so… cute. "W-Wormmon?"

Puttimon smiled, "I'm not Wormmon anymore. I'm Puttimon! I use the digiegg of kindness to armor digivolve. But don't think I'm just another cute face. My heart beam will make my enemies ache." Even his voice was energetic and almost child-like.

Ken shrugged. _He's my partner. That's all that matters. _"Go get him, Puttimon!" 

"Right!" Puttimon bounced towards DarkTyrannomon, making leaps that were impossibly high for a human. "Heart Beam!"A pulse of red energy gathered around Puttimon's extended forefinger and shot out at DarkTyrannomon's head. The blast of energy collided with the creature's head and sent him staggering back. DarkTyrannomon let out a small yelp in protest, but quickly recovered. 

Enraged, DarkTyrannomon took a swipe at Puttimon with his right claw. Puttimon giggled and leaped over the claws as a child would skip rope. DarkTyrannomon continued to swing at his small opponent in a continually failing attempt to knock him off balance. Puttimon continued to laugh and jump. This wasn't a battle to him, it was a game.

Finally, DarkTyrannomon's patience gave out. "Fire Blast!" Red flames erupted from his mouth and cascaded down toward Puttimon. 

Seeing the danger approach, Puttimon leaped high into the air as the flames burned the ground beneath him. "Ohh… You've done it now!" Puttimon extended his forefinger again. "Heart Beam!" Another bolt of red energy struck DarkTyrannomon in the head and knocked him backwards.

"Heart Beam!" A second shot struck the dark ring around DarkTyrannomon's neck, shattering it. DarkTyrannomon slumped to the ground as his eyes changed from burning red to deep blue. He let out a small groan and his body went limp.

Davis looked to Flamedramon. "Let's show 'em how the pros do it!"

Flamedramon nodded and turned to face Kuwagamon. "Come on, buggy."

Kuwagamon roared and brought one claw down at Flamedramon. The Armor Digimon leaped high into the air, past the claws, and flipped onto Kuwagamon's back. He raised a clawed glove to strike at the dark ring, when, suddenly, Kuwagamon unsheathed his wings and knocked his opponent off. Flamedramon turned his fall into a graceful back flip and landed on the ground. 

Kuwagamon was in the air again and circling around for another attack. Flamedramon stood his ground with his right fist cocked back. Bright yellow sparks formed around his claws as Kuwagamon drew ever closer. "Fire Rocket!" Flamedramon thrust his fist forward, sending out several fireballs. The spheres of heat struck Kuwagamon in the head, burning his exoskeleton. Kuwagamon screeched and tumbled to the ground. 

Not loosing a chance to strike, Flamedramon encased his body in a flaming aura. "Fire Rocket!" He propelled himself forward at the dark ring. With a loud crash, the spike on Flamedramon's head shattered the slave collar broke into tiny splinters, which then dissolved into broken data. 

Kuwagamon had no visible eyes to change color, but he let out a slight groan as he staggered back to his feet. Kuwagamon looked at Flamedramon, then spread his wings and leaped into the air. He soared off into the distance without a sound.

Davis let out an undignified grunt, "He could have at least said thanks."

Flamedramon shrugged, "Kuwagamon aren't too social. The fact that he didn't attack us or cause a scene is his way of saying thanks." Davis shrugged and nodded.

Ken looked at DarkTyrannomon. "Is he…" A content snore erupted from DarkTyrannomon's throat and he rolled over into a more comfortable position.

Puttimon said "Don't worry. My heart beam not only knocks bad guys out, but it fills peoples hearts with love and peace! He'll wake up feeling like a million dollars."

Ken muttered, "That's… that's…" Puttimon said.

"Corny?" Davis said as he and Flamedramon tried to control a fit of snickering. Ken glared daggers at the two of them and they had enough sense to shut up. Puttimon just looked at them confusedly, oblivious to the others' reactions to his words.

"You guys were great!" Datirimon cheered, "Way to go!"

Davis smiled at the small Digimon. "We couldn't have done it without you, Datirimon. Thanks for your help. But, how did you recreate our digieggs?"

Datirimon replied, "Like I said, I made 'em from your crest power."

Davis frowned, "Well, Ken has the crest of kindness, but do I have crest power too?"

Datirimon gave Davis a humoring look. "Of course you do, Davis. Why do you think you, Cody, and Yolei were chosen to be the new Digidestined out of all the children in the world?"

Davis shrugged, "We all lived in Japan?"

Datirimon said, "Nope. You and the newer Digidestined have crest power, but the Digidestined in other countries don't. They don't have your kind of power. That's why you were chosen instead of them. You have the power of the crests of courage and friendship. That is why you can use the digieggs. I created them from your own power."

Davis scratched his head, "I always figured that I had inherited the crests from Tai and Matt." 

Datirimon said, "Nope. They're your own crests powers. You didn't inherit them from anyone. Same goes for Yolei, Cody, and Ken."

"Then what about TK and Kari?" Asked Ken, "Were they chosen because of their crest power as well?"

Datirimon nodded, "Yep. The powers of hope and light are very hard to find in the human world. Large concentrations of courage, friendship, love, sincerity, knowledge, reliability, and kindness are hard enough to find, but hope and light are practically impossible."

Ken frowned, "That doesn't say much about humans."

Datirimon said, "It's not as bad as it sounds. All humans have light and hope in their hearts, no matter how bad they may seem, but it's difficult to find a _concentration_ of that energy. TK and Kari were reenlisted because they were the only ones who could help."

Datirimon's expression saddened, "But there's something else you should know. I think ChaosWarGreymon has crest power too."  
Ken asked, "Is that possible? Does that mean that ChaosWarGreymon is someone's partner?"

"I dunno. Crest power can be split between several Digimon if a person knows how. ChaosWarGreymon is only one of three Chaos Generals. I haven't seen the others."

Davis asked, "Do you know which crest power it is?"

Datirimon said, "I don't. When I sense it, it feels familiar, but there's a dark shadow over it. I can't tell which crest gives ChaosWarGreymon his power." 

Flamedramon asked, "How do you know all this?" 

"Yukio told me."

Davis blinked, "Oikawa?"

"Yeah. When Yukio became the guardian spirit of the Digital World, he became really smart and learned a whole bunch of stuff. He's spends all his time exploring the Digital World while trying to understand its secrets. It gets lonely sometimes, so I tag along and tried to be there for him. He's shared a lot of info with me. Just before he left, he told me how to recreate the digieggs by using the Digidestined's crest power." 

Puttimon asked, "Where is Oikawa now?"

"He used up the last of his energy distracting ChaosWarGreymon."

Flamedramon's face fell, "Does that mean he's… dead?"

"No, no, no!" Datirimon apparently wanted to make his point very clear. "You can't kill a guardian spirit that easily. But without his power, Yukio couldn't resist the control spires anymore. He's been sealed away, just like the Azulongmon and the Guardian Digimon."

Davis huffed, "Great. Just great. We're right back where we started five years ago." 

Ken pointed out, "But at least our Digimon can armor digivolve now. That gives us a slim chance."

"But first," Datirimon said,"we have to get the digieggs back to the other Digidestined. Where are they?"

Davis said, "We lost sight of each other after escaping from ChaosWarGreymon. They could be anywhere and we don't know how to find them. Our D3s don't work right now." 

Ken added, "And ChaosWarGreymon didn't follow us, which means he followed the others. If no one else can digivolve, then our friends are in even greater danger than we are."

Datirimon frowned, "That's bad… But I think I can fix things."

Davis said, "Don't keep us hanging, spit it out!"

Datirimon said, "It's hard to describe without actually doing it first, but I think I can recreate the other digieggs if we knock down one control spire." 

Flamedramon said, "We can knock down a spire easily enough, but ChaosWarGreymon will notice it and come."  
Puttimon nodded, "We're tough, but we're nowhere near as strong as a Mega." 

"Oh," Datirimon sounded more excited, "I forgot to say something. Yukio mentioned that Ken's digiegg is different. Since it was made from a physical crest, it can do more than the other digieggs."

Ken's eyebrows furrowed, "Such as?"

Datirimon answered, "I dunno." The others groaned. All this mystery was getting to be too much. "Yukio just said that it'd be the key to defeating ChaosWarGreymon."

Davis nodded, "But before we can whoop on him, we've got to help our friends. Let's find the nearest control spire and knock it down. Then Datirimon can do his voodoo, and then we high tail it outta there before ChaosWarGreymon arrives. Sound good?" Everyone nodded. "Alright then. Let's get to it."

Flamedramon reverted back to Veemon. His armor flashed orange and dove towards Davis in a narrow beam of light. The light settled into Davis' pocket, where his d-terminal was stored. Veemon said, "We can get there faster if I armor digivolve into Raidramon."

Davis nodded and held up the digiegg of friendship. "Digiarmor energize." Blue lightning leaped from the digiegg.

"Veemon armor digivolve to… Raidramon: the Storm of Friendship!" Davis picked up Datirimon and mounted his Digimon. Ken stepped forward to get on as well.

Puttimon said, "Hey, Ken! Why are you getting on Raidramon? I'll take you."

Ken said, "But… Raidramon's four-legged, so I can-"

"That's not a problem. Just give me your hand and I can take you anywhere!"

Davis said, "Hmm. Not a bad idea." He grinned mischievously. 

Ken glared at Davis. He said in a quiet voice, "I'd rather ride on Raidramon." 

Davis said, "But you two would look so cute together." He could hardly contain his laughter.

"This isn't funny. How would I look hanging on to a little imp? It'd be humiliating."

Davis replied, "You worry too much. Who's gonna know besides me and Raidramon? Besides, you shouldn't favor my partner Digimon over your own, right?"

Ken hated to admit it, but Davis had a point. "I'll get you for this. Mark my words." 

Davis laughed. "Bring it on! Let's get going, Raidramon!" Raidramon jumped forward and bounded towards the nearest control spire.

"Let's go, Ken!" Puttimon grabbed Ken's wrist.

"Wait, I'm not- YAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Ken cried as Puttimon pulled him up into the air far above the treetops. If it was possible to develop acrophobia in a second, then Ken had definitely added a new fear to his list. _Davis, if I live through this, I'm gonna kill you!_"

********

It didn't take long for them to reach the nearest control spire. It was only about two miles away, which was no problem for Raidramon and Puttimon. Davis thought that strange, because, when Ken had been the Digimon Emperor, he'd usually set up control spires at great distances from one another. It was only when the Digidestined had come close to his base that they'd found larger numbers of control spires grouped together.

Davis, Datirimon, and Raidramon arrived first. It was disturbing to look at the control spire, black and imposing with smooth sides and sharp angles while being surrounded by vibrant round trees. The control spire looked completely unnatural and out of place. It'd be a public service to remove this obscenity. Davis slid off Raidramon and set Datirimon down. "Should we start without Ken and Puttimon?"

Datirimon replied, "No. We should wait. I can't hide the power I'm gonna use, so ChaosWarGreymon will see us. We need to run as soon as I'm done." Davis nodded in understanding.

"Davis!" Ken and Puttimon came bounding in from the sky. As they came closer, their descent seemed to slow so that Ken's feet touched down gently just before Puttimon's. Puttimon could apparently achieve brief moments of flight, but he preferred to use that power to augment his jumping capability.

Ken stumbled forward on shaky legs. Davis grinned, "Fun ride?" 

Ken shot Davis a look that would have made a Dark Master cringe, then said, "There's something you need to see."

"What?"  
"The control spires!"

"I can see them just fine. Look, there's one now." He pointed to the one they were going to blow up.

"NO! It's not the control spires themselves, it's how the Digimon Emperor arranged them. I saw it from the air while Puttimon was bouncing me up and down like a yo-yo." Ken smirked, "In fact, Puttimon, why don't you show Davis what we found?" 

"Right!" Puttimon stepped forward and held Davis by the wrist. "Hang on."

Davis could see Ken's revenge taking shape. "Now, wait a minute. I-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" That was all he could get out before Puttimon rocketed up above the tree line. They continued to soar up miles above the ground. Even Flamedramon couldn't jump this high!

For a short bit, Davis spent his time controlling a sudden feeling of vertigo and the desire to reach terra firma again. The high altitude brought with it a small chill, not to mention a terrifying lack of security as he felt his feet dangling helplessly above the ground. "Look at all the spires, Davis." Puttimon pointed at the dark towers jutting up from the green forest roof. "Look at the pattern." 

Davis forced himself to look out over the landscape. His first impulse was a fear of heights when he saw how far up they were, but then he focused on the black monoliths jutting up from the landscape. It was amazing how many spires had gone up in such a short amount of time. _The Emperor and the other Chaos Generals must have been working while ChaosWarGreymon distracted us_. At the rate they were going, it was fully possible for the Emperor and his generals to conquer the Digital World in a single day. There were so many control spires, all clumped together. 

And that's when Davis saw the pattern. The controls spires were clustered into unusually close and organized groups. They were still a few miles apart from one another, but they were nowhere near as far apart as Ken's control spires had been. All the spires were arrayed in diamond formations that wove together like a tiling pattern on a floor. Some spires were located at the tops of mountain peaks, while others were in small valleys. Some of the spire locations were difficult to reach, which made Davis wonder why the Emperor had gone to so much trouble when there were easier places to set up the spires. It seemed that the new Digimon Emperor was more focused on organizing the control spires in a pattern rather than finding convenient locations. Davis knew he wasn't the master strategist for the group, but he did know that this new Emperor wasn't so foolish as to exert that much energy without some purpose in mind. _This pattern could mean something big. But what? _

His thoughts broke off as Puttimon descended back to the ground in another rush. Davis swore he'd never ride a roller coaster again. As soon as they touched down, Davis wobbled back towards Ken. 

Ken smiled, "Fun ride?"

Davis grimaced, "I saw what you meant. That's a pretty weird set up for the spires."

Ken nodded, "I think the Emperor has something bigger in mind that just control rings and blocking digivolutions. There must be a larger purpose for those spires."

Davis took a deep breath to get his knees to stop shaking and stood upright. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, we have to help our friends. Raidramon, Puttimon, take that spire down!"

A rustling in the bushes caught the group's attention. Puttimon and Raidramon jumped forward to challenge the oncoming threat. Davis expected to see Kuwagamon again, but, instead, a short green Digimon stepped into the sunlight. It was vaguely reptilian with a yellow belly and head and a short tail. Other features, however, gave it a plant-like quality. It's feet looked like a collection of green roots, its hands looked like purple tulips, and rose petals caressed the curves of its round head. A dark ring encircled its neck, just above a small cluster of rose petals. Davis recognized this Digimon as one of the three Floramon that they had evaded earlier. Normally very gentle and feminine, the fierce expression on this Floramon's face contrasted her petite form. Two other Floramon emerged from the bushes and took positions aside their comrade. They too wore dark rings.

"Okay," Davis smiled. "This is nothing. After Kuwagamon and DarkTyrannomon, these three'll be nothing."

"Wait," Ken held up a hand. "Let's just knock down the control spire, then the Floramon will be free and we won't have to fight at all. Raidramon, Puttimon, go for it!" 

"Thunder Blast!" Blue lightning shot out from Raidramon's spikes. 

"Heart Beam!"

Raidramon and Puttimon's attacks lashed out before the Floramon could even react. The blasts of energy converged on the base of the spire and demolished it in an explosion of fire. The smell of burnt grass and smoke filled the air as spire tumbled down, but burst into a cloud of data before it could strike the ground. The Floramon winced and clutched their heads while their eyes went from crimson to a deep shade of blue. "Where are we?" The Floramon looked around in confusion.

Datirimon ran towards the spot where the spire had been standing a few moments ago. "Gotta hurry, gotta hurry, gotta hurry!"

Davis leaned towards Ken, "What's he doing?"

Ken shrugged, "I don't know, but he'd better be fast. I'm sure ChaosWarGreymon knows we've knocked down a control spire."

********

There was nothing like the thrill of the hunt. ChaosWarGreymon could almost smell the fear oozing off his victims as he stalked them through the forest. The scent of two humans, a Gatomon, and a Patamon was strong. He was close, so deliciously close.

For a moment, ChaosWarGreymon considered how he should go about executing them. Who should die first and who should have the pleasure of seeing the others die before his or her fate was delivered? Ah, decisions, decisions. 

He could just envision the voices of the Digidestined rising together in a choir of screams as he pushed his claws through flesh, tissue, and bone. The vision of blood dancing down his claws sent a shiver through his body. The joy of torture would help to compensate a little for the simplicity of this task. Tracking rookies was no challenge.

A tingling in the back of ChaosWarGreymon's mind brought him to a halt. The control spire in grid 32 lambda was down. _Odd, any Digimon with the power necessary to destroy a control spire should be under the control of a dark ring by now._ No rookie could destroy a control spire easily, and ChaosWarGreymon was positive that the Gatomon was close by. Furthermore, two units had been freed from their dark rings. ChaosWarGreymon hadn't paid that event much mind. He'd simply attributed it to luck on the part of the Digidestined, but the loss of a control spire changed things.

The hunt had just become more interesting. ChaosWarGreymon would have to leave the Gatomon and the Patamon to his servants for now. It was important that he discover the rogue element interfering with his master's plans. The loss of one control spire was insignificant and easily remedied, and yet the control spire count had to be at 100% for the operation to be successful. The paradox of easily replaceable yet vital elements would be baffling to most creatures, but the Digimon Emperor and his Chaos Generals understood more than most creatures would ever know. At least, other creatures would not know until it was too late.

And it would soon be too late for those who were so audacious to destroy a control. They'd quickly learn that losing one spire wouldn't reprieve them from the slave units that pursued. 

ChaosWarGreymon leaped into the air and flew towards the newly liberated sector. Its new freedom would be short-lived, as would be the interlopers who dared to defy the Digimon Emperor. 

********

Davis and Ken approached the Floramon with comforting smiles on their faces. "Hey, are you guys okay?"

One of the Floramon looked at them. "Yeah, we're—Uhnnnn!" The three Floramon sank to their knees and clutched their heads. Their squeezed their eyes shut in pain.

Ken stepped forward, "Are you okay?"

"Grrr…" The Floramon's eyes snapped open. All three of them looked at the Digidestined with the color of blood shinning bright in their pupils. One of the Floramon pointed her tulip-shaped hands at Ken. "Rain of Pollen!" A cloud of yellow dust shot with a loud _poof_.

"Watch out!" Davis lunged forward and knocked Ken aside. The attack dove past Davis and Ken and struck a tree at the edge of the clearing. The pollen circled around the oak. The tree's limbs began to sag and fall, until it looked completely limp and even asleep.

"No fair!" Davis protested. "Ken, how come they're acting bad again?"

"How should I know? It must be some new function of the Emperor. Puttimon!" Ken's partner leaped to their side and scooped up both humans under his arms.

"Rain of Pollen!" Puttimon jumped just in time to avoid a joint attack by all three Floramon.

Raidramon came running in and spun on his front paws. His tail lashed forward in a blue blur and struck the center Floramon's neck with a loud crack. For a moment, Davis feared that Raidramon had killed the Floramon, until he saw small black debris fall to the Floramon's feet and her eyes returned to normal. "We need to destroy the other dark rings." 

Puttimon set down with Davis and Ken. "Wait here. I'll get 'em!" He skipped forward with his forefinger extended. "Heart Beam!" Ruby streams of energy lanced out and struck another Floramon, breaking her dark ring.

"Thunder Blast!" Raidramon quickly dispatched the other collar and freed the last Floramon. All three of them slumped to the ground. "Ohh… are we free yet?"

Davis chuckled, "Yeah. This time, you're free for real. We got rid of the dark rings."

Ken added, "You'd better get out of here. ChaosWarGreymon could arrive any time now."

"CHAOSWARGREYMON?" The Floramon instantly stood up and spun around. As they sprinted into the forest, they called over their shoulders, "Thanks for the rescue!"

"Good luck!"

"Nice knowing you!"

"That last one wasn't very encouraging." Raidramon frowned. 

Just then, a bright light sprung up behind Davis and Ken, casting long shadows along the forest floor. Datirimon was standing where the control spire had been, his body once again illuminated with pure white light. "Please, Yukio." He called, "I need more power. Help me to save the Digital World!" 

For a moment, nothing happened. Davis and Ken fidgeted nervously. They could almost feel ChaosWarGreymon bearing down on them. He had to be close. Davis said, "This isn't working. We have to go!"

Puttimon pointed to Datirimon's left side. "Look, there!" A sliver of rainbow-colored light began to shimmer in the air, then it burst open into the shape of a butterfly. Several other lights glistened to Datirimon's right. Then there was an entire cloud of butterflies floating around Datirimon. With one burst of speed, they all dove in at Datirimon and encased him in a sphere of multi-colored light. 

Davis and Ken closed their eyes as the sphere grew outward until it passed over them and soared outward into the far-reaching landscape. Davis slowly opened his eyes and blinked away the light-ghosts dancing before his vision. The field remained unscathed, as if that burst of power had never happened. Davis could see the residual shimmering of the blast near the horizon, but the initial pulse had faded. Datirimon lay slumped on the ground, completely exhausted.

Davis ran forward and cradled Datirimon in his arms, "You okay?"

Datirimon whispered, "I'm tired. That… took a lot out of me."

Davis couldn't control his curiosity. "What just happened?"

"Destroying the control spire created a small area where Yukio could still use his power… H-he gave me power to send out a pulse of energy that creates digieggs. When the light hits the other Digidestined… their digieggs will be recreated."

Davis nodded, "Thanks, Datirimon. You probably just saved everyone's lives. Get some rest." Datirimon was asleep before Davis could even finish his sentence. Davis ran towards Raidramon and climbed up while balancing Datirimon with one arm. "We need to get going."

Ken ran up, "Wormmon and I should ride with you. Puttimon jumps too high and might be seen by ChaosWarGreymon while we're trying to escape."

Davis knew Ken had an ulterior motive behind his reasoning, but it did make sense. "Climb on." He helped Ken up with his free hand. Puttimon reverted back to Wormmon and jumped onto Ken's back where he clung tightly. "Let's go, Raidramon!" Raidramon took off at top speed through the trees.

Ken asked, "Hey, Davis?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think the others will be alright?"

Davis nodded, "Yeah. Now that they're about to get their digieggs, we have a fighting chance again!"

Ken arched an eyebrow, "Six Armor Digimon against a Mega? Aren't you being a little optimistic?"

Davis smiled, "Probably, but that's because I know what this team can do. We've made it through some tough fights before and we'll do it again. Just you watch, Ken, we're gonna win and send the Digimon Emperor packing!" 

Ken said, "You're right! We'll do it!" Raidramon continued to run past the tress towards an unknown future. 

********

The treetops melted into one green carpet as ChaosWarGreymon zoomed past them. Every muscle in his body tensed at the exhilaration of being close to his prey. He would be upon them soon, and then he could claim two humans as trophies. He wondered which part of them he would display to his master. Head? Heart? Eyes? 

Suddenly, a burst of white light sprung up from the treetops and swelled out to engulf ChaosWarGreymon. His eyes burned in pain as the blinding glare passed around him. _A trap! _ChaosWarGreymon held his claws up and attuned his other senses to detect the next attack. The "next attack" never came. ChaosWarGreymon opened his eyes, only to see a blurry green mess. His first impulse was to fear the loss of sight, but panic was the first step towards death. He blinked a few times to clear his vision. The world returned to its normal view. To his moderate surprise, the pulse of energy had not harmed a single leaf in the entire forest. Had it been a blinding attack to slow ChaosWarGreymon's approach and buy his prey a little more time? No. His prey would have been caught in the light as well, so they would be blinded too, and no one could effectively flee through a forest without eyesight. There must have been another reason behind it. He knew that any clues would be found where the control spire had been. 

A small patch of burnt grass was the only indication that a control spire had ever existed. It must have been a small explosion that collapsed the spire, possibly only one or two attacks. Their power was still negligible, but ChaosWarGreymon felt that his prey was slowly regaining its claws. _I may yet get some sport out of them_.

ChaosWarGreymon touched down in the clearing and walked over to where the control spire had been. He was impatient, but his master's plan demanded that he take the utmost care with this task. The control spire had to be placed exactly where its predecessor had been; otherwise, it would be useless. After a few calculations and adjustments ChaosWarGreymon waved his claw and a new control spire materialized into the air. The Digidestined's small retaliatory strike had been for nothing. Or was it?

ChaosWarGreymon had initially suspected that the two lost units, Kuwagamon and DarkTyrannomon, had been the ones to destroy the control spire, but ChaosWarGreymon could not smell either Digimon close by. There was, however, a scent of Veemon and Wormmon in the air, as well as humans. The scent of the Digimon was different somehow, almost as if they had digivolved. But that was impossible. Even if the Digidestined succeeded in destroying a control spire, they would still be unable to reach Champion form. The Emperor had factored in the loss of one or two control spires into his plan, and the armor digieggs were gone. 

ChaosWarGreymon considered his options. He had no way to contact his master presently, and he could not afford to wait. _I will extract the information from the Digidestined when I capture them_. That meant changing his hunting plans. He still needed to dispose of the Gatomon, the strongest current challenge, but it was more important to learn what tricks the Digidestined had. He could chase after the Veemon and Wormmon, but that would take him farther away from the others. Besides, the Digidestined were far too loyal to one another to abandon each other in hostile territory. The Veemon and Wormmon Digidestined would have to double back eventually. 

A mental signal pinged within ChaosWarGreymon's mind. One of his servants was engaged with two Digidestined. _Wonderful timing_. ChaosWarGreymon took to flight once again and headed back the way he'd come, towards the signal. This had been only a minor setback. He still held the edge in this hunt, and there was no safe place where his prey could hide. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ChaosWarGreymon is in for more surprises than he realizes. There's much more to come in the next chapter of "Darkness Reborn." 

Author's Note: I'm afraid that this story is taking too long to write, because I'm splitting my attention between this fic and "The Outcast." I thought that dividing my attention between two stories would prevent me from getting bored with one plot line, but the truth is that neither story is proceeding as quickly as I had hoped. 

Now that I'm back in college and working on new writing styles, I won't have as much free time. I've decided to focus my attention on finishing "The Outcast" first, then I'll double back and wrap up "Darkness Reborn." And, if I do start to get a little tired of "The Outcast's" storyline, I may type up another chapter to this fic. We'll see.

In the meantime, please review my work and let me know what you think. Even more importantly, please let me know what you think I can improve upon, because I'll never become a better writer if I don't have something to focus on. 


	3. Yolei & Cody

Darkness Reborn

Chapter Three: Yolei & Cody

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own nor pretend to own any rights to Digimon's creatures, characters, or storyline.*

            Author's Note: It's taken me over a year, but I'm finally back to Darkness Reborn. There's not much to say about these early chapters, so I'll just wish you a fond reading and I hope you enjoy my story.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            One of the most prominent signs of a dictatorship is the absence of sound in a public area. When people or creatures feel forbidden to speak and silence ensues, it is like a declaration that those individuals have forfeited their freedom. The Digital World was declaring its loss as the sun reached its afternoon setting. No birds sang from the treetops, no Digimon or fish splashed in the rivers. Every living creature was trying its best to go unnoticed by staying silent. Every creature except one human.

            "This totally stinks!" Yolei declared without a hint of oppression. "Here we are, stranded in the Digital World, without any clue where the others are, and I can't even be with Ken!" 

            Cody tried not to take offense at that statement. He knew from painful experience how fixated Yolei could be. Still, he wasn't about to let her call down trouble. "Yolei, you have to stay quiet. The way you're shouting, everyone in the Digital World can hear you. We don't need any more trouble." 

            Yolei growled, "Hey, if I wanna complain, I'm gonna do it. Can't you see how much trouble we're in?"

            Cody had learned much since he'd first became a Digidestined. One of the most important lessons had been that he was just as smart and level-headed as the older Digidestined, if not more so. As such, he wasn't about to back down when he knew he was right.

            "Like you said, we're stranded, and our Digimon can't digivolve. That means we have to be quiet to avoid ChaosWarGreymon. Our two rookies can't possibly hope to defeat a Mega. If you keep shouting at the top of your lungs, you'll give us away and we'll be caught, or worse. Then you won't get to see Ken again, ever."

            Hawkmon nodded, "He has a point, Yolei. Your ruckus could be our downfall." 

            Yolei gritted her teeth and forced several deep breaths. "Okay… okay… I'm fine. But this does stink."

            Armadillomon said, "Gotta agree with you there."

            Cody added, "This does stink, and we're in a lot of trouble, but we have to keep a clear head or we won't be able to change things. We have to find the others and come up with a strategy to defeat the new Digimon Emperor."

            The new Emperor. Cody felt a shiver at the very thought. It had taken him a long time to reconcile with Ken for his past misdeeds, and now someone was copying Ken's tactics. Cody had hated the Digimon Emperor for his cruelty and selfishness, but that was when he hadn't understood Ken's pain or the fact that he was under the influence of a dark spore. Cody wondered if this new Emperor was also a puppet for darkness. That made it all the more confusing. It was hard to fight an enemy that one didn't know how to feel about. Hatred, anger, sympathy, it would have been far easier to choose one emotion and go with it rather than alternate. 

            A rumble in the ground shook Cody from his thoughts. "Something's coming!" The two humans and their Digimon scrambled for the nearest bush.

            A large turtle-like Digimon lumbered into view. Its yellow made the creature's dark ring stand out, and its back rock-like spikes jutted out from its shell. The creature sniffed as it wandered, checking every bush and tree along the path.

            "A Tortomon." Hawkmon whispered. "He's a reptile Digimon who uses his Strong Carapace attack to grind his enemies into the ground. I assume he's been sent to look for us."

            Armadillomon said, "Don't worry. He's got a lousy sense of smell. No way he'll find us if we keep quiet."

            Cody looked up at Yolei, unsure if she could stay still long enough for the Digimon to pass them. It was then he noticed that Yolei's nose was twitching. "What's wrong?"

            "There must be something nearby that I'm allergic too. I think I'm gonna... Ah, ah… Ah…" Her mouth opened wide and Cody and the Digimon lunged forward to cover her mouth. Unfortunately, that movement shook the leaves of the bush, causing a rustle to waft down the path to Tortomon. The giant turtle growled with its red eyes flashing as it turned back to investigate.

            "ACHOO!" The force of Yolei's sneeze actually pushed the others' hands away. Torotomon roared and charged at his newly found prey.

            "Run!" Cody cried, and everyone sprinted down the path with Tortomon close behind. Yolei sniffed apologetically. 

            They fled through the trees with the loud crashing behind them serving as a reminder of how close Torotomon pursued. All the way Cody scanned for a cave or a building or some other hiding place; but all he saw were trees. There was nowhere to hide, so they kept running. 

            The group sprinted through a cluster of trees placed so close together that they succeeded in slowing Tortomon for a moment. Cody and Yolei emerged into a small clearing with a control spire in the middle. Cody took one stride towards the other end of the field, and suddenly cleared it. Dazed, Cody glanced back at the opposite side of the clearing, where Tortomon was just appearing. The gigantic reptile jumped up towards the group, and landed a good ten yards away, facing the wrong direction. The Tortomon growled in surprise and looked around, disoriented.

            "What's going on?" Cody wondered aloud.

            "Never mind!" Yolei grabbed his arm. "Let's just keep running." She yanked Cody towards the nearest mass of trees, and then suddenly slammed into the side of the control spire. As Yolei slumped down the side of the black metal, Cody looked around at the scenery. Something was very wrong here. The Tortomon was still trying to reach them, but every time he charged he disappeared from one area and reappeared in another. Armadillomon and Hawkmon materialized next to Cody, having followed the same direction Yolei had pulled them. 

            "This is impossible." Cody had learned from Izzy that the laws of physics weren't easily broken, even in the Digital World. Something had to be affecting this strange state. Was someone using a teleportation power? 

            And that's when Cody noticed the scattered patches of grass all along the clearing. The grass, with a rich diversity of green shades, did not flow together as it did on Earth. The different tones intruded upon one another, creating an almost checkerboard appearance. 

            Cody leaned forward and held out his arm. Nothing happened. He leaned further and still nothing. He took a step forward, and suddenly his arm disappeared at the elbow. Cody yelped and jumped back. His arm reappeared.

            "Cody!" Armadillomon had seen the whole thing. "What happened?"

            Cody shook his head. "I don't know…" He held out his arm again and stepped forward. He was no less surprised when his arm disappeared again. He managed to keep his arm up this time and looked around. His missing hand could be seen hovering in the air on the other side of the clearing. He wiggled his fingers and they waved at him. 

            "EEEEKKK!" Yolei had finally recovered. "Cody! What's going on?" 

            Cody retracting his arm and his hand returned to his side. "I think that something's affecting the space within this clearing. I didn't notice at first because there's only grass here, but somehow the ground isn't where it should be."

            "What do you mean?" Yolei exasperated. "The ground's at our feet, right where it should be!"

            Cody shook his head. "That's not what I mean. When we take a step, we're hitting the next patch of ground, but that patch has somehow been transported somewhere else. So, even though we're walking in a straight line, it looks as if we're being transported all over the clearing. It's almost as if we're trapped in a prism. A straight path is split into multiple locations."

            Hawkmon scratched his head. "How curious." 

            Yolei glanced over at Tortomon, who was still transporting haphazardly all over the area, trying to find his prey. "We better find a way out of here before he gets lucky." 

            Cody looked up at the control spire. "Oikawa once said that the control spires were supposed to change the borders of the Digital World. Maybe these spires do the same thing. But this never happened with Ken. Is it malfunctioning?"

            Yolei huffed. "This just shows that the new Emperor isn't half as smart as Ken!"

            Cody sighed. "Yolei, please stay focused! Complaining and dreaming about Ken isn't going to get us out of this!" 

            Yolei looked as if she'd been slapped, but then she slowly smiled. "You've changed, Cody." 

            "What do you mean?"

            "Well, back when we first fought Ken, you didn't take charge or tell people to stay focused unless."

            Cody almost hunkered back. "I don't mean to be rude, but we have to keep our minds on the problem at hand. We're in a serious situation."

            "I know, I know." Yolei patted his shoulder. "I'm just impressed at how you've changed. And don't worry. I'm still focused. I just need to vent. Getting rid of my frustrations helps me keep my head clear." 

            Hawkmon sighed, "Alright. Now that we have established that Yolei is focusing on our current problem, perhaps we should try to figure a way out of it. Yolei, if you're head is now clear, do you have an idea?"

            Yolei thought for a moment. "… Nope. Not one." Everyone sighed. Tortomon's roar made them all jump. The reptilian Digimon continued to cry out into the sky, but did not sound pained or fearful.

            Armadillomon figured it out first. "He's callin' for help." 

            Cody felt his heart skip a beat. "We have to leave before reinforcements come. We're trapped in here." 

            Yolei pointed out, "But every time we take a step, we end up somewhere else!" 

            Cody replied, "Even though it looks like we're teleporting randomly, we're really traveling in a straight line. We could actually reach the edge of the distortion if we kept heading in one path, but I don't know which way we should go." It was then that the light came. 

            It started as a small glow over the tree line, as if there was a second sun coming up over the horizon. But then the light reached out into the clearing and enveloped everyone in its grasp. Cody, Yolei, and their Digimon cried out as the blinding white light passed over them, blotting out the rest of the world.

            Cody held his arms up in a meaningless defense, but then he felt a warmth on his chest. He looked down and saw the crests of Knowledge and Reliability shinning over his heart. He glanced at Yolei, who was looking at her own crests with a bewildered expression. The crests slowly lifted off their chests and hovered in the air. In one final flash, the crests became overwhelmed in light. Cody shut his eyes from the blast of light, but it still stung his gaze. 

            He blinked a few times to clear away the light specters from his vision, then looked at where his crests had been. The restored Digieggs of Knowledge and Reliability hovered before him, and Yolei's Digieggs of Love and Sincerity floated in front of her. 

            "Our Digieggs!" Cody held his hands up and they floated into his grasp.

            Yolei caught hers as well. "I thought they disappeared." 

            Cody's mind flashed as bright as the light that had restored these crucial tools. "Yolei, I have an idea! Have Hawkmon digivolve into Shurimon!" 

            "Um, okay." Yolei shrugged and held up the Digiegg of Sincerity. "Digiarmor energize!" 

            "Hawkmon armor digivolve to… Shurimon: The Samurai of Sincerity!" In a swirl of leafs, Hawkmon body became wrapped in white cloth, with a mask and cowl covering his head. Two large green leafs served as a cape, covering his front and back. His legs and feathery wings were replaced by long coiling vines, each one gripping a three-pointed star. A four-pointed throwing star, bigger than any other in existence, hung off his back.

            Cody instructed him. "Shurimon, throw one of your stars and don't stop until you've hit something."

            "Shouldn't I just smash the control spire?" 

            "No. We don't know what would happen if we removed the distortion. And if we end the warp effect, we'll have to fight Tortomon. We can't afford a fight right now. Tortomon's reinforcements could come at any minute. Now throw your star that way!" He pointed in a random direction

            "Double Stars!" Shurimon flung out his left coiled arm, which stretched to an impossibly long length. 

            "Keep track of them." Cody ordered. The group watched as Shurimon's arm appeared and disappeared on an erratic course through the clearing. It finally hit a target, though not what Cody had been hoping for. Tortomon howled in fury as the star bounced off against his shell.

            "Excuse me." called Shurimon. Tortomon huffed. 

            "Okay…" Cody chose another direction. "Fire that way now." Shurimon threw his star again. This time, the star and attached arm spun through the air until it embedded itself in a tree beyond the clearing. Shurimon's star embedded itself in the trunk and the ninja Digimon reeled in his arm until it became a taut line, leading out of distortion field. 

            "That's the way!" Cody held up his Digiegg of Knowledge.            "Digiarmor energize!" 

"Armadillomon armor digivolve to… Digmon: the Drill of Knowledge!" Armadillomon's body became sheathed in yellow armor with the Crest of Knowledge prominently displayed on his back, just above the bug wings. His nose was a long, pointed drill. Several more drills were attached to his two upper arms. 

"Digmon, I haven't seen you in a while." Cody smiled and mounted his Digimon.

"Cody," Yolei asked, "What are you doing?"

            "I was right. Even though we'll become disoriented, we can still reach the edge of the distortion zone by running in a straight line. Digmon, hold on to Shurimon and pick up Yolei." Using his lower arms, Digmon picked up and held Yolei with one hand while clutching Shurimon's remaining arm with the other. "Just close your eyes and run straight. Don't stop for anything! Everyone else close your eyes as well." 

            Digmon, Yolei, and Shurimon glanced at each other with uncertainty, but followed Cody's instructions. "Hold on! Here we go!" Both Digimon began running at a full sprint.

            Cody clung to Digmon's armored shell with all his strength. He could feel the rhythmic pace of Digmon's run all through both their bodies. The wind brushed past his face, and Tortomon's cries faded into the background. Their trek stopped when Digmon slammed into something hard. The insect Digimon staggered back and opened his eyes. They'd hit a tree. Shurimon stood beside them, freeing his arm from the tree trunk.

            Digmon released all his passengers and the group hurried through the tree line. They emerged onto a path with a river running parallel to it. 

            Yolei sighed and sunk to her knees. "We made it out. I thought we'd be stuck there forever." 

            Shurimon said, "Good work, thinking of that strategy, Cody. We not only freed ourselves but lost Tortomon in the process."

            Cody nodded, "Thank you. But we can't rest now. We still have to find the others." 

            "You're right. Let's get going." Yolei stood up. 

            "Watch out!" Shurimon leaped forward and lifted Yolei into the air as a four-pointed blade zinged through the air and embedded itself in the ground. Everyone gasped and looked up into the trees, where a figure stood with burning red eyes. 

            The figure was short and fat, with a teardrop-shaped body. It took everyone a moment to realize that his body _was his head. The lower half was one large mouth, while the eyes peered out through a red hood. The strange being's arms and legs were covered his lightweight armor, and a long sword hung from his back._

            "Ninjamon." Shurimon said. "My old foe from Little Edo. I've bested him before, but it was not an easy match."

            Ninjamon smirked. "Nice to see you remember me. I'm here for a rematch." His voice was annoyingly high pitch and grated on the ears of his foes.  

            Shurimon, arguably the strongest ninja in the Digital World, leaped up onto an adjacent tree. "I'd love to draw this out with some witty banter, so what do you say we cut to the chase?" He lunged forward with one of his hand blades. 

            Ninjamon jumped up over the blow and slashed with his sword. Shurimon deflected with his foot blade while rolling in midair. Both combatants landed on the ground and sprinted away from the others. 

            "Yolei," Cody protested, "we don't have time to fight Ninjamon!" 

            Yolei replied, "This is what Shurimon wants. I saw him fight against Ninjamon before, and it didn't matter that Ninjamon wasn't being controlled by a dark ring. They kept fighting because it was a matter of honor. I can't ask Shurimon to give up his honor just because we're in a rush. We can go as soon as he whoops Ninjamon."

            Cody didn't want to point that was only _if Shurimon could beat Ninjamon. _

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            ChaosWarGreymon had felt his heart surge as he received a report from the Tortomon unit that had first detected the two Digidestined. The thrill intensified when he learned that the creatures had apparently escaped the Tortomon, who was now sending out a distress call. _My prey is smart enough to evade a fool. Good. Clever prey made an even better kill. _

            Two other Digidestined had managed to destroy a control spire. No simple task using only Rookie Digimon. Before he killed his current hunt, ChaosWarGreymon would discover how these humans had managed to accomplish such a feat. 

            One thing did trouble him. A mental signal from a captured Ninjamon indicated that he was engaged in combat, yet he seemed to be masking his location. _A unit dares defies his master? That was must less pleasing than the thrill of the hunt. This foolish Digimon would pay for his audacity. _

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            Yolei could hardly track Shurimon and Ninjamon as they sprinted along the trees; jumping over and dueling for brief seconds before resuming their race. Their movements were so fluid and swift that Yolei almost missed the brief moments of combat. The two Digimon were only testing each other at this point. The real fight had yet to begin. 

            Cody and Digmon followed behind her, visibly exhausted and panting heavily. Too bad they weren't getting the same rush out of this that Yolei was experiencing. Seeing Shurimon fight was one of the most enticing sights in her life. When Shurimon fought, he gave off a calm, confident aura that reassured Yolei that everything would be all right. Seeing him fight now reminded her that they had a chance against a foe even stronger than Ninjamon. _We'll win. I know we can win when I see Shurimon fight like this…_

_            Shurimon and Ninjamon landed and began the fight in earnest. "Double Star!" Shurimon threw his largest shuriken, which Ninjamon evaded with a simple jump. What he could not dodge was the tree limb that Shurimon had been aiming for. The ninja star cut through the wood and sent the branch toppling down, landing on Ninjamon's oversized head. _

            Ninjamon fell down, stunned. Shurimon leaped up for a final blow when Ninjamon quickly rolled to the side and avoided Shurimon's blades. Ninjamon threw his own shuriken, which tore through Shurimon's leaf cloak and almost pierced his skin. Had Shurimon been moving even a fraction slower, he'd have been struck.

            "You've improved." Shurimon leaped back to recollect himself.

            Ninjamon smirked. "After I lost to you in Little Edo, I've spent every moment training myself, becoming stronger. I reached a whole new level of skill so that I could defeat you!" 

            "And yet you still weren't good enough to avoid being recaptured by the Digimon Emperor." 

            "I _let myself be captured. I knew with a new Emperor on the loose you'd be showing up again. I figured that I'd stand a better chance of finding you if I let the Emperor do the work and just point me in the right direction." _

            Shurimon's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "You'd give up your freedom to fight me?"

            "Defeating you is the only thing I care about!" 

            Shurimon charged. "A nice story, but I think it's just an excuse for clumsiness!" He lashed out with his right blade, which spun like a buzzsaw and sheared through the space where Ninjamon had just been standing. 

            Ninjamon himself was now behind Shurimon, charging with his sword. Shurimon evaded a lunge and countered Ninjamon's blade with his own. "There are more important things than fighting me. This new Emperor stands ready to conquer the whole Digital World. We do not have time for petty vendettas!" 

            "You're out of time." Ninjamon broke the lock and kicked Shurimon in the stomach. "The Digimon Emperor already controls the Digital World. He conquered it in a day!" 

            "That's impossible." Shurimon wobbled as he stood up.

            "Do you really think there's only one Chaos General serving the new Emperor? Even if you defeat this one, there'll still be two more Mega Digimon you'll have to defeat. Not that you'll get the chance!" He raised his sword and charged with a fierce battle cry.

            "I think not!" Shurimon charged with is weapon held low. The two rivals swung at each other with all their strength and blade clashed against blade. Then blade passed through blade as Shurimon's weapon broke through Ninjamon's, shattering it into piece. Shurimon used his momentum to bring his knee into Ninjamon's nose, knocking his opponent to the ground. 

            Shurimon extended his arm until the tip of the blade poked Ninjamon between the eyes. Ninjamon stared up at him defiantly. "Go ahead. Finish me off."

            "Why should I? I have nothing to gain from your deletion." 

            "If you don't kill me, I'll come back after you again." 

            Yolei watched the whole encounter, unsure what Shurimon would do next. For a moment, she feared that Shurimon would indeed take Ninjamon's life. The meaningless death of a Digimon was still one of Yolei's greatest fears. 

            She heaved a sigh of relief when Shurimon retracted his blade. Beneath his mask, Yolei knew that Shurimon was smiling. "Life wouldn't be much fun without a good rival. I'm looking forward to our next battle." He stepped back and Ninjamon stood up hesitantly.

            Suddenly, a black streak shot down from the sky and collided with Shurimon. The plant-like samurai careened above the ground, bouncing several times and rolling to a stop. 

            ChoasWarGreymon decended to the ground with a psychotic gleam of delight in his eyes. "So, I face an Armor Digimon. How interesting." He regarded his subordinate. "Ninjamon, how dare you try to hide your presence from me? I am a Chaos General in service of the Emperor. Never forget that I am your master!" Ninjamon only glared back.

            "Shurimon!" Yolei cried, "Get out of there! He's too strong for you!"

            Shurimon nodded, "Well have to continue this some other time, Ninjamon." He jumped up, hoping to land behind ChaosWarGreymon and sprint with Yolei into the trees. As he reached the height of his leap, Shurimon found ChaosWarGreymon waiting for him in the air. The dark Mega swatted him back to the ground with the back of his claw. Shurimon found himself sprawled in the dirt once again.

            Cody gave the order, "Digmon, go help Shurimon!"

            "You got it!" Digmon charged forward. "Gold Rush!" Digmon's four drills shot out like rockets aimed at ChaosWarGreymon. Seeing the attack coming, he dodged to the side at the last moment. The drill missiles detonated harmlessly in the air.

            "Fools! Do you honestly think two Armor Digimon can stand against me?" 

            "Double Stars!" Shurimon tossed his largest shuriken. ChaosWarGreymon did not even flinch when it bounced off his claw armor. He settled down on the ground once again.

            "Rock Cracking!" Digmon thrust his new set of drills into the ground, creating a large fissure. The soil under ChaosWarGreymon gave way, opening up to a black pit. The Chaos General merely hovered in the air. His silence rang with arrogance. 

            "Let's attack together. Double Stars!" 

            "Gold Rush!" The two attacked collided with ChaosWarGreymon both in front and behind. But when the smoke cleared, there was no sign of damage, not even a mark.

            "Is it my turn now?" ChaosWarGreymon raised his hands. Golden light gathered between his claws, cumulating in a gigantic sphere of raw power. Cody and Yolei both gasped. They'd seen this attack used by BlackWarGreymon. However, it was odd that ChaosWarGreymon's attack was a shinning gold color, whereas BlackWarGreymon's Terra Destroyer had been a sinister red. 

            "Chaotic Force!" ChasWarGreymon tossed the sphere with all his might. The blast of energy landed in front of Digmon, swallowing him up in its eruption. A smoking Armadillomon fell from the destruction and rolled limp on the ground.

            "Armadillomon!" Cody ran over to his friend. "Speak to me!" 

            "Ugghhh…" Armadillomon shook his head. "Sorry, Cody, I blew it."

            "And now for you." ChaosWarGreymon advanced towards Shurimon.

            Suddenly, a small shuriken slicked into ChaosWarGreymon's arm, embedding itself just above the elbow. ChaosWarGreymon winced at the unexpected attack. Yolei blinked at the wound. The liquid pouring from ChaosWarGreymon's body was far too thin to be blood, and it was pitch black.

            ChaosWarGreymon looked over at his new assailant. "Ninjamon, how dare you strike at me?"

            Ninjamon stood with another throwing star at the ready. "Shurimon is my opponent. I don't care about what you want or what the Emperor wants. I'm going to defeat my rival. Me, no one else!" 

            The General turned to regard his rebellious servant. "So, you wish to defeat him? Perhaps there is a disagreement in your history, yes? Well, allow me to settle the matter for you!" Ninjamon blinked, and suddenly ChaosWarGreymon was gone.

            Shurimon cried, "Ninjamon, behind you!" 

            Ninjamon didn't have time to turn around before the pain started. 

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            There was a reason ChaosWarGreymon did not sharpen his claws. True, the serrated edges split through the skin relatively easily, but not as quickly as if the blades were trimmed to a razor's edge. More than anything, ChaosWarGreymon treasured the effort it took to drive the blades deeper; to see the blood squirt from the wound and the life pour out of his prey. He savored the burning in his muscles and he drove his claws deeper, and deeper into Ninjamon's back. His arm burned as he pushed deeper. It was a glorious feeling.

            For a moment he wished he could see Ninjamon's face himself, but that was not necessary. He could see Ninjamon's pain reflected in Shurimon's eyes.

            The incompetent little Champion's eyes were bulging almost three times their usual size, and his mouth was open as if he were screaming, but no sound escaped. The terror and pain was enough to make ChaosWarGreymon's heart skip a beat, and Shurimon's own pain and grief only added to the experience. ChaosWarGreymon twisted his blades, burrowing holes in Ninjamon's skin. 

            Ninjamon had chosen to side with ChaosWarGreymon's prey, and in doing so he'd become prey himself. All prey eventually had to die. 

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            Yolei screamed as Ninjamon slumped to the ground and exploded into fragmented data. She hadn't seen such torture and cruelty since MaloMyotismon had killed Arukenimon. "You sick monster!" She screamed. "How could you do that?"

            ChaosWarGreymon looked at her over his shoulder. The glint in his eyes rang with sadistic laughter. _We have to get out of here. She realized. __He'll kill Shurimon and Armadillomon just like he did Ninjamon; and then he'll come after me and Cody! But how could they escape something that was faster and stronger than all of them combine? _

            _If we can't outrun him, then we've got to keep him busy with something else. That was when an idea struck. "Cody! Go take Armadillomon back to the lake, where we got out of that weird space-warp thingy!" _

            "What? Why do you want me to go there?" 

            Yolei quickly leaned in and whispered her plan in his ear. Cody looked at her with a startled expression, but quickly nodded and ran with his partner back the way they'd came. 

            Shurimon, meanwhile, was doing all he could to distract ChaosWarGreymon. "Double Stars!" His blades and shuriken were still of no use. ChaosWarGreymon landed a jump kick and knocked Shurimon back and bounced him against a tree. Unable to hold his strength, Shurimon reverted back into Hawkmon. 

            "Hawkmon, move!" Hawkmon jumped up and flew over ChaosWarGreymon's shoulder just before the dark giant sliced through the trees bordering the battleground. 

            Realizing that Hawkmon stood an even less chance of winning the battle as a Rookie, Yolei held up her remaining Digiegg. "Digiarmor energize!" The silver egg flashed red.

            "Hawkmon armor digivolve to… Halsemon: The Wings of Love!" Halsemon's sleek feathered body matched the curve of his helmet, and the twin blades that jutted out from the sides of his head. The talons on his four legs were all poised to strike at his opponent. "I will make you pay for Ninjamon's death. I swear it." 

            "Do not make promises that you cannot keep. Chaotic Force!" ChaosWarGreymon threw another golden fireball. Halsemon took to the air and flew over the blast before it could strike him. 

            "Eagle Eye!" Red lasers shot forth from Halsemon's eyes and pinged off ChaosWarGreymon's armor. The attack had no effect. 

            Yolei punched a message into her d-terminal and sent it to Cody. 

Are you ready yet?  
  


Yes. Submarimon and I are standing by. Just give the command.

            Yolei sent an affirmative reply and called to her partner. "Halsemon, come here!" The avian Digimon looped around and streaked towards her. They'd both had practice and fast mounting while on the run and had refined it to an art. Yolei mounted Halsemon's back in midair and they sped off towards the lake. ChaosWarGreymon pursued.

            "Weave through the trees!" Yolei ordered. Halsemon dipped and dodged through the thick clusters of trunks, not bothering with the beaten path. Behind, ChaosWarGreymon chose the more direct approach of smashing through the trees rather than trying to move around them. This blunt maneuver succeeded only in slowing him down. _Is he giving us the chance to escape on purpose? Wondered Yolei. __He probably wants to have a little fun hunting us for sport. Well, he'd soon learn he'd made a big mistake. _

            Yolei ordered Halsemon back onto the main path and sent an e-mail to Cody. 

NOW!

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            Oh the thrill of the chase! ChaosWarGreymon felt his very soul stir as he pursued his quarry. These weak creatures weren't much sport in combat, so a chase was the only way he could satiate his desire for the hunt. For a moment, ChaosWarGreymon considered using his full speed to catch up with the Armor Digimon and its Digidestined partner, but then decided against it. What pleasure would there be in such a kill? He wanted to give them a feeling of hope for escape, only so that he could see it drain from their eyes when his blades ripped through their flesh. The female human had a very attractive jugular vein. He was looking forward to seeing it bleed red. 

            The bird Digimon, Halsemon, weaved back onto the main road. _Such foolishness. It was much wiser to stay where there were obstacles to impede me. When prey became stupid, the hunt ended. ChaosWarGreymon could not give them any more handicaps than he already had. He felt his heart sink at the prospect of a short chase, but there were at least ten more Digidestined and Digimon for him to stalk. He'd make up for this one short pleasure. _

            ChaosWarGreymon emerged onto the clear path and charged straight for his target. Suddenly, a loud splash broke the surface of the lake. A silver Digimon with a teardrop-shaped body and a drill for a nose was lining ChaosWarGreymon in his sights. 

            "Oxygen Torpedo!" Several bursts of condensed air shot out of ports on the Digimon's belly and collided with ChaosWarGreymon's side. Taken by surprise, the Chaos General had no time to shield himself. The blast did not cause any real damage, but it did knock him off course and sent him careening through the air and over the tree line. He landed in the dirt, near a control spire. 

            "So my prey has claws after all. Tiny claws." Such a weak attack could not hope to damage him. He sprinted back towards the lake, and found himself on the other side of the clearing. "What?" 

            It was then that ChaosWarGreymon saw the Tortomon nearby. It was resting on the ground, giving him a helpless look as if to say, "We're stuck." 

            _What is this trickery? ChaosWarGreymon could feel the area around him distorting; twisting and turning in on itself. He glanced at the control spire. __So, it is malfunctioning. My prey is smarter than I realized. _

            His prey! Already ChaosWarGreymon could smell them as they fled. They were escaping! He lifted up into the air, trying to rise above the distortion, but he suddenly found himself upside down, flying towards the ground. He turned to head up again, and slammed face-first into the soil anyway. _What madness this is. I am being mocked by my own victims! I will not be made a fool. _

            The rage boiled inside him, and he cultivated it, savored his hatred and anger. And then he forced it out into one ever-growing explosion that reached out with greedy claws of light to every corner of the clearing and beyond. The Tortomon's scream was swallowed by the blast, as was the Digimon itself. ChaosWarGreymon unleashed his full fury upon the disobedient area, and all that remained was a smoking crater. 

            But his prey was gone. Escaped into the woods and already mixing with a hundred other smells. _I will track you. I will kill you._

_            "You're off to a great start." A scathing voice spoke in the back of ChaosWarGreymon's mind.___

            "What do _you want?"_

            _"Just helping you stay in touch with reality. While I do admire that new blotch on the landscape you just created, I should remind you that you just destroyed several control spires in the area. In case you forgot, we're supposed to advance__ the project, not tear it down. You'd best replace those spires before the Emperor finds out what you've done"_

_            "I need no advice from you. You should best worry about your own assignments."_

            _"Already done. I've finished my work here and am en route to Earth. I can take care of your sectors while I'm there if you wish. Best of luck in your hunt, when you get around to it." The voice disappeared from ChaosWarGreymon's mind, leaving a trail of echoing laughter. _

            That laughter would soon cease once ChaosWarGreymon killed all the Digidestined and received the Emperor's praise and blessing. He would quickly prove himself the greatest of the three Chaos Generals by defeating the guardians of the Digital World. It was only a matter of time. 

            For the moment, ChaosWarGreymon would have to suffer the frustration of rebuilding the control spires he'd sacrificed to break his prison while ensuring that another special warp did not happen before the appointed hour. Then he would track the remaining two Digidestiend. Four of them had escaped his grasp, and he wanted them to feel as if they were safe for a moment. But soon he would find them again, and the hope would vanish. He would savor seeing their faces when tossed them the heads of their last two friends. It would be sweet revenge for such humiliation. 

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            Yolei had almost forgotten what a thrill it was to ride on Halsemon's back. She reveled in the wind streaming through her hair and the exhilaration of seeing the landscape flash by. Halsemon was much more nimble that Hawkmon's Champion form of Aquillamon, and there wasn't the loud beating of wings as they flew. 

The avian Digimon skimmed across the ground, never touching it yet staying low enough to hide under the trees. ChaosWarGreymon wouldn't be able to attack them from above without having to clear away the tree line. _Not that that would stop him. She shivered as she remembered seeing the ever-expanding sphere of death that came from the area they'd trapped the dark Mega. Poor Tortomon was probably dead, just like Ninjamon. The knowledge that they'd be reborn was still no comfort. Getting a second run at life didn't cheapen the value of the first experience. When a Digimon died, he or she had to start from the basic again. Who was to say that their lives would play out the same way? _

            "Yolei." Cody broke into Yolei's mood, a dangerous tactic. He and Armadillomon were ridding behind Yolei. "That was a brilliant plan. Trapping ChasWarGreymon was probably the only way we would get out alive. You were right; keeping your head clear really did save us."

            Yolei grinned, "Just returning the favor. You got us out of that distortion field, remember?" She sighed, "Too bad Tortomon wasn't as lucky as we were." 

            Cody nodded. "There was nothing we could do for him or Ninjamon."

            "Ninjamon." Halsemon bowed his head reverently. "It hurts to think he's gone. He really was an impressive rival. In the end, he gave his life to save us, though not for the same reasons that we have for fighting. I honestly don't know if he was being brave or extremely selfish."

            Yolei said, "I still can't believe how ChaosWarGreymon slaughtered two Digimon without a second thought. I haven't seen anything so heartless since MaloMyotismon." 

            Armadillomon noted, "I don't think we'll be able to reason with ChaosWarGreymon, or any of the other Generals. We're gonna have to defeat them if we wanna free the Digital World. You guys sure you're up to that." 

            Yolei was silent for a long time. "I think so. But don't ask me again until the time comes." Even the wind couldn't reassure her.

                        *            *            *            *                      *            *            *            *

            Izzy had been staring at a computer screen for far too long. His eyes hurt and neck ached. But he couldn't stop worrying. He'd been monitoring the situation in the Digital World for hours, and he felt sick every time he looked at the pitch-black panels of the digital map. _Every sector conquered. Izzy was even more troubled by the fact that he hadn't heard from Tentomon since the takeover began. It was very possible that his friend was a prisoner whoever was controlling the new invasion. _

            None of the other older Digidestined had been able to contact their partners either. Izzy had called Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, and Joe, only to find that they were just as oblivious as he. There'd been no word from Davis or any of the younger Digidestined. They were probably already in the Digital World with their partners. Izzy felt the urge to go and join the fight, but he couldn't open a portal without a D3, and he didn't even know if he still had a partner to fight with. _Stuck on the sidelines again…_

            He switched on the TV, which lay far away on the other side of his dorm room. At least he wouldn't be straining his eyes as much. But his eyes didn't get any rest, because they bulged at the sight of a black spire jutting out above a city skyline, with a baffled reporter commenting on the object's strange appearance. Izzy quickly returned to the computer and checked through MSN.com, CNN.com, Yahoo!, and a dozen other news websites to check for other sightings. 

            Control Spires were appearing all over the world, just as before when Digimon had begun to invade major cities. _Not again. The spires appeared from nowhere, and already one-fifth of the world was covered with the black towers. Whoever had conquered the Digital World was now setting his, her, or its sights on Earth. And it looked like the conqueror was off to a good start. _

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: The next chapter will be out very soon. I've finally gotten on a solid writing schedule (although that'll probably fly out the door once I go back to school). Please leave a review and tell me what you liked/disliked about the chapter. I always appreciate feedback. 


	4. Dark Intentions

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 4: Dark Intentions 

by Silver

*Disclaimer: Who doesn't own rights to Digimon's creatures and characters? That's right, me!*

            Author's Note: Well, this is the fastest in a while that I've posted another chapter to one story. I'm doing pretty well, eh? This chapter begins to develop the central characters of the story, namely TK, Kari, and the Digimon Emperor. 

            I'd like to thank Daisukefire and ChrsDud for their proofreading and criticism. My stories become all the stronger thanks to the input of people who read and review with serious intentions. I hope that many other people will offer some critical reviews that will help me become an even better writer. 

            Please enjoy the chapter, and feel free to read a review.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            TK had never seen a place as barren as these canyons. There wasn't a single plant, not even a weed, growing amongst the crevices. The rock walls grasped for the sky like greedy hands trying to surpass the clouds. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the formations and bounced back to them, reinforcing their solitude. Kari hadn't said a word since they'd broken away from the others, and TK didn't feel like starting a conversation. Patamon was another case.

            "I guess ChaosWarGreymon didn't follow us." 

            Gatomon said, "That means he went after the others."

            "Do you think they're okay?" asked Kari.

            TK almost answered, "I don't know," but thought better of it. "I'm sure they're fine. Being able to avoid the bad guys is a Digidestined's best skill. I've lost track of how many times I've had to hide from some Digimon." Kari didn't smile at the joke, and it was clear she didn't believe him. TK didn't think it'd been that funny anyway.

            "There was nothing we could have done, Kari." 

            "I know… I just… I wish that ChaosWarGreymon had come after me instead of one of the others." 

            "Why? Don't tell me you have a death wish." 

            Kari shook her head. "Far from it. But Gatomon's at her full Champion strength thanks to her tail ring, so we'd stand a better chance of surviving than Davis or the others, who only have Rookies." 

            "_Only?" Patamon huffed indignantly. _

            Kari smiled slightly. "Sorry, Patamon. I didn't mean it that way."  

            TK tried to reassure her. "Kari, we're up against a Mega. It wouldn't really matter if we had Rookies or Champions or even Ultimates. I hate to say it, but unless we can have Veemon and Wormmon become Imperialdramon, it's very likely that we won't have the power to defeat ChaosWarGreymon. You shouldn't try to hold yourself responsible for what's happening, and you definitely shouldn't set yourself up as a decoy." 

            Kari sighed, "I suppose you're right. But that wasn't exactly a motivating speech." 

            TK nodded, "Well, I haven't given up hope yet. I am the Digidestined of hope after all. Things are bad, but they're not impossible. Doing the impossible is another Digidestined trait, right?" 

            "Right!" Patamon nodded enthusiastically. Kari and Gatomon remained silent. 

            TK decided to continue his encouragement. "We've been in situations like this before, Kari. Remember the fight against the Dark Masters when we all began to split up? Even though we were weakened, we still managed to defeat the Dark Masters. And we overcame Apocalymon after he destroyed our crests and tags. We stopped BlackWarGreymon from destroying the Digital World, and with only three DNA Digimon; no Megas. I'd say we have a pretty good record of beating the odds." 

            Kari nodded, a bit more optimistically this time. "You're right. We've come this far against difficult odds. I don't see why we can't win again." She smiled. 

            TK smiled back, pleased that he'd been able to encourage her. Now if he could just do the same for himself. 

            "So where do we go from here?" asked Patamon.

            "Well," TK considered. "The best place would be to head back towards the area where we split up. That'd be the best place to rendezvous since we all know where it is."

            Kari frowned. "What about Davis and Yolei? They don't always stop to think things through. They might not consider going back." 

            TK laughed, "They'll be fine. If nothing else, they have Ken and Cody with them. Those two can keep Davis and Yolei focused if they have to. Let's circle around and head back to where we started." 

            "Shouldn't we just turn around?"

            "Not if we want to bump into ChaosWarGreymmon again. It'd be safer to head back using a different route." They all nodded and continued walking, looking for a chance to turn around.

            As they walked, TK glanced at Kari out the corner of his vision. His friends had been teasing him for weeks about how he looked at Kari and she never noticed, but he couldn't help it. She was pretty, and really easy on the eyes. And she was fun to be with, even in a situation as desperate as this. 

He shook his head and refocused on the path in front of him. Now wasn't the time to be distracted.

_"GROOOOAAAAR!"___

TK jumped along with everyone else as a loud roar flooded the canyon. Behind them, a section of the wall broke away and turned to face them. Then several more pieces split off and stood to block the canyon exit. What TK had thought to be a simple pile of rocks was actually several Golemon. The towering masses of living boulder leaned on their oversized hands like gorillas and peered out at the Digidestined with glowing red eyes. Dark rings encircled the Golemons' necks. 

A horde of smaller, less brutish rock creatures appeared from the ground. These creatures' dark gray color contrasted to the Golemon's yellow hue, and the small ones did not wear iron masks like their larger cousins. They did, however, share the same bloodthirsty look, and wore the same dark rings. 

Gatomon identified the smaller Digimon. "Gotsumon. Figures. They love to stay in places like this. This whole area's probably crawling with Gotsumon and Golemon." 

"Run for it!" TK called as he turned to sprint farther down the canyon. Kari and the Digimon matched his pace. Gotsumon and Golemon were emerging from the other side of the canyon as well. They seemed to pour out of the rocks, born from the very ground itself. TK barely managed to dodge under one Golemon's leg before it brought its fist down, causing a small tremor in the ground. TK glanced over his shoulder to make sure that Kari and the Digimon were all right. 

Jumping over a small group of Gotsumon, the group made it past the last barricade, leaving the larger, slower stone Digimon behind. But the Golemon were not easily thwarted. Ripping large stones from the rocky walls, the titans threw them at the escaping Digidestined.

TK and Kari fell to the ground as the first few boulders smashed into the ground and walls. TK stood up with his teeth still rattling and helped Kari up. "We gotta keep going!" They resumed their flight. 

The ground had betrayed them. It rose up with many different heads and faces, like a stone hydra. It gave birth to countless hands, all of them reaching up to trip the humans and drag them back to ChaosWarGreymon. It gave birth to Gotsumon after Golemon; a stone horde with the sole intent of overpowering the two humans and their partners. The very canyon itself was their enemy, and it was too large and powerful for them to defeat.

Up ahead, the canyon split into two diverging paths. TK was reminded of the old saying: "when you see the fork in the road, take it." 

"Just choose a path and go with it." He instructed Kari, "Don't worry about which way I go." 

Kari nodded and ran alongside Gatomon. Patamon hung close to TK. Several more boulders crashed down behind them. The Golemon's aim was improving. Another volley smashed into the walls. The whole area shook with a terrible rumble, and stones began to break free from their resting places and lunge down towards the group. 

TK and Kari poured on a final desperate burst of speed. TK veered towards the left path while Kari chose the right. As a hail of boulders and rocks cascaded down, TK dove forward, trying to elude the shower of rocks that threatened to crush him. He only caught a glimpse of Kari as she too lunged forward to reach safety. 

TK skidded across the ground, scrapping himself all over, but he had managed to evade the landslide. But he didn't see Patamon. TK tried to stand up, but his body became heavy and tired. He gasped for breath while sweat trickled down his face and stung his eyes. His vision darkened and blurred, and he could only hope for Patamon and Kari's safety as the world vanished into darkness.

            *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

The Digimon Emperor kicked a stone as he wandered down the path, surmising the current situation. His servant, ChaosWarGreymon, had succeeded in dividing the Digidestined and keeping them distracted while the other Chaos General completed the domination of the Digital World. By now, his other operative should be on Earth, beginning the second phase of the plan. 

Everything was proceeding smoothly. And yet, there was a problem. ChaosWarGreymon was far too gun-ho for killing the Digidestined. This bloodlust made his clumsy and stupid. The Emperor knew his General to be far too obsessive about the hunt. What if he should actually succeed? The purpose of this operation was to distract the Digidestined, not kill them. Despite the message the Emperor had left those fools, he really did not wish them dead. Not all of them, at least. One Digidestined had to survive. His survival meant the success of this operation. If ChaosWarGreymon bungled this and killed TK, it'd be the end of everything the Emperor had worked for. _I may have to curb ChaosWarGreymon._

"Oh, Emperor!" A dark voice called in a sing-song voice. The Emperor glanced over at his shadow on the wall. A pair of deep blue eyes, too dark and cruel to be human, were fixed on the shadow's face. "I see you're up and about again. Back in control, are we?"

"What is it you want?" The Emperor was too busy thinking to be bothered. 

The false merriness vanished from the creature's voice. "Mind your tone. I do not tolerate insubordination from my creations."

            His creation. How was it that creatures assumed they had dominion over the things they gave birth to? No one owned the Emperor, not even his creator. 

            The shadow said, "I wanted to check and see how your plan was unfolding. Are you close to breaching the two worlds?" 

            The Emperor nodded, "The Digital World is under our control and the conquest of Earth should be underway. The Digidestined are currently scattered and weakened. They pose no threat." 

            "And what of the Digital World's guardians?" 

            "Oikawa and Azulongmon are sealed away by the control spires, as are the remaining three Digital Guardians. Gennai has gone underground, but he won't find much help. Most if not all the Digimon are under our control. Everything is going according to plan." 

            The shadow nodded. "Very well. Continue with your work, and be quick about it. I've been patient all these years, but now that my freedom is at hand I find myself becoming less tolerant. If you fail me, I'll send you back from where you came!" The eyes vanished, and the shadow was now just a figure on the wall. 

            "Fool." The Emperor spat. Did that egomaniac really think that the Emperor would allow himself to be reduced back to that shell he'd once been? No. _One day I'll be giving the orders. I shall be the master and I will give the threats. _Despite his creator's threats, the Emperor knew he was in no danger so long as his "master" remained trapped. _He needs me. And that makes him weak_. 

            The Emperor returned his thoughts to TK. He'd have to ensure that ChaosWarGreymon did not succeed in killing the boy, yet the Emperor knew that TK would not abandon his friends, especially when one was so close by. The only way to ensure TK's success was to make sure he fought as hard as he possibly could. He needed motivation. _It's time we met_.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            TK's head throbbed as he stood up and shaky legs. He rubbed his head and glanced around. It took him a moment to remember the canyon, the Golemon, and the avalanche. _Oh no! Patamon!_

            "Looking for this?" A voice came from behind. TK whirled around and saw… the Digimon Emperor.

            He sat atop the pile of rocks with one leg resting on the other in a very causal recline. His black cape draped across the rocks and his rested his head on his fist. His other arm gestured to an unconscious Patamon, lying sprawled on the rubble. The little Digimon had a small bump on his head and a few scratches, but nothing life threatening. 

            "Patamon!" TK stepped forward.

            "I wouldn't do that." The Emperor brandished a dark ring. "Let's talk for a bit, unless you'd rather I make your partner my new servant?" 

            TK growled and forced himself to stand back. "Who are you?" 

            "I'm the Digimon Emperor. Didn't you get my message?"  

            "I know what you call yourself. I want to know your _name_."

            The Emperor laughed, "Do you really think I'd just tell you? Where's the fun in that?" He jumped up and flipped over TK. Taking advantage of the opening, TK dashed towards his partner Digimon. Behind him, he heard a whirling sound. Then there was a snap and something snagged his legs. TK tripped and fell flat on the ground. A black ring encircled his ankles and the Digimon Emperor stood over him. 

He grinned down at TK and stared at him through the black visor on his face. "I can't tell you how long I've waited to see you." 

            "Me?"

            "Do you see anyone else here? Of course I mean you! I have to confess that I'm a little excited that I have the chance to meet you face-to-face."

            "What's so special about me?"

            "Oh, you've been a particular fascination of mine for some time." He reached down and placed his hand on TK's shoulder. TK braced, but didn't move for fear of endangering Patamon. 

            "TK Takashi: one of the first Digidestined, spanning two generations. Youngest of two. Older brother: Matt. Parents are currently divorced and you live with your mother. Digimon Partner: Patamon. Patamon's Digivolutions: Angemon, MagnaAngemon, and the armor Digimon Pegasusmon. You've been the most active member of the Digidestined. You've more experience than Davis and the other newbies, and even more experience than Kari. You've continued duty as a Digidestined past Tai and his group, making you the most knowledgeable of the Digidestined. I doubt there's much in either world that would catch you off guard at this point" 

            One thing caught TK off guard at least. "How do you know so much about me?"

            The Emperor's voice dropped to a serious whisper. "I know more about you than you know about yourself. I understand you in a way that no one else could." 

            "Then you know I'm determined to beat you?"

            "Beat me? Don't you mean save me? Haven't you all been wondering how it is I became the new Digimon Emperor?" The Emperor pressed a finger to his head. "Let me see if I can divine what you're thinking… You think that I'm like Ken; controlled by a dark spore. Perhaps I was one of the dark spore children taken by Oikawa. Am I right?"

            "Maybe…" TK didn't like how well this person could read him. 

            "Well, you're wrong. There are no dark spores within me. No external forces controlling me. No tragic past or hidden motives. I am as you see me." 

            TK demanded, "Then why are you conquering the Digital World? If you're not being controlled, how can you enslave all the Digimon? Don't you realize that they're living creatures?" 

            The Emperor laughed, "Of course I know they're alive! Why do you think they need to be controlled? Living creatures such as humans and Digimon need guidance."

            "What do you mean?" 

            The Emperor explained it as if he were talking to a child. "Sometimes, one person has to step in and make decisions for everyone else so that there can be peace and harmony. I'm going to make the decisions so everyone else can rest easy." 

            TK's eyes narrowed. "And who made you king of the world?"

            "Who made you my judge?" The Emperor's smirk was getting annoying. "Let me ask you this: how many threats have you eliminated during your time as a Digidestined? Devimon, Myotismon, The Dark Masters, Diaboromon, the former Digimon Emperor, Kimeramon, Arukenimon and Mummymon, MaloMytoismon… the list just keeps going. All those dangers. All those evil creatures. Threat after threat, they just keep coming. Did you ever think that there was a better way to curb threats to the Digital World?"

            "Such as?" 

            "Take control! Use your power and knowledge of the Digital World to take leadership of the world and strengthen its defenses. Coordinate its inhabitants and direct them to defend their world as one unified whole! You have had so many opportunities, yet you always chose to let them pass you buy. Always the savior, but never the leader. You blame me for having a cruel and evil plan, but aren't you guilty of neglect and underachievement?"

            TK shook his head. "I never wanted to rule! I just wanted to protect this world and my home!"

            "What better way to protect than to ensure that a threat never arises? Face it, TK, you've been going about this the wrong way. A guardian can only face a threat that already exists. A king can stop a threat before it happens." 

            TK remained defiant. "You're wrong. You just want power for yourself. You're not interested in protecting anyone."

            The Emperor shrugged. "True. I do benefit from a large base of power. But as long as I maintain the peace, who cares what my motives are? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say."

            TK clenched his fists. He wanted to strike down this arrogant and selfish human. This person who denied the true malice of his actions by claiming to protect people and Digimon. How could he think this way? How could he enslave so many living creatures willingly? He was a monster, as terrible as Devimon or Kimeramon. He had to be stopped. 

            "You're thinking of beating me into a pulp, aren't you?" TK's anger melted into surprise. The Emperor waved a finger, "Not very noble of you, planning to beat up a fellow human. You've got quite a dark side hidden under the suite of armor, eh Mr. Guardian? I'm looking forward to seeing how deep that anger runs. After all, it's anger that gives you true power." 

            The Emperor reached down and unfastened the ring around TK's legs. "You'll find Kari Kamiya about two miles west of here. She's currently heading for the nearest control spire, trying to knock it down. I suggest you hurry. There are plenty of Gotsumon and Golemon in this area." 

TK blinked at the Emperor in surprise for a moment, then stood up and ran to check on his partner. After feeling Patamon's breath and sensing his heartbeat, TK Turned around. The Emperor was gone. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "Lightning Paw!" Gatomon batted away yet another Gotsumon. Kari stood with her back to the rockslide debris that blocked the way they'd come. Stuck between a rock and proverbial hard place, Kari could only watch as her partner cleared a path through the rock Digimon. 

            Kari still couldn't help but feel guilty that she had the benefit of a fully powered Champion while all of her friends were stranded with Rookies. Gatomon was having relative ease dealing with the Gotsumon. There were only two Golemon in their way. Since Gatomon stood no chance of defeating them with brute force, she opted for grace instead.

            Leaping up, Gatomon sprung her way to the top of one Golemon's head. She then sat and waited for the other brute to attack. True to the form of most enslaved Digimon, this Golemon did not consider the risk in swinging a punch at its own ally. Gatomon bounded off the Golemon's head and onto the oncoming fist just as the blow connected. The wounded Golemon fell to the ground as Gatomon ran along the other Golemon's arm and delivered a lightning paw attack to the creature's face. Caught off-guard, the other Golemon fell and the way became clear. "Come on, Kari!" 

            Kari ran forward, sidestepping all the fallen Digimon. More creatures were on the way. Kari could hear the Golemon behind her trying to clear through the rubble and resume their attack. There wasn't enough time to free all the Digimon. _We have to destroy the control spire. That's the only way to free all these Digimon_. 

            Kari noticed that Gatomon was panting heavily. "Are you all right?"

            "Yeah… just a little winded." Gatomon huffed. "There's too many Digimon here. My claws all sore from knocking a bunch of rocks around."

            "I'm sorry. But it looks like we'll have to go through more Digimon if we want to get out of here. We need to find the control spire for this area and knock it down. Then we won't have to fight anyone for a while." 

            Gatomon huffed. "Easier said than done." 

            Kari nodded and looked up at the sky. She hoped TK and the others were all right. She hadn't seen what'd become of TK during the rockslide. Part of her feared that he was trapped under the rubble, but she tried to push her worries aside. TK had encouraged her to have hope and not waver during this crucial time. If she allowed herself to become weighed down by worry and doubt, she'd never have the strength to keep going, and the Emperor would grow that much more powerful. She'd just have to hope that TK was alive and well, and coming to find them. _I'll destroy the control spire and find TK. Then we'll rejoin the others. We'll win, no matter what._

But how? That was the ultimate question. Gatomon was panting heavily, her fur matted down by sweat. Her claws where scratched and worn from striking rocky skin, and her muscles trembled as she tried to stand. Although she was a powerful Champion, Gatomon had been forced to battle odds that would have made even an Ultimate Digimon hesitate. She couldn't keep fighting and expect to win. They had the will to succeed, but the Emperor's sheer power was almost overwhelming. They needed more strength!_ Please, Kari wished fervently, __someone send us more power! Give us the strength!_

            A faint shimmer appeared just above the top of the canyon. And it was growing. She squinted as the light poured over the side, flooding the entire canyon with a white glow. Kari shielded her eyes from the intense brightness. She felt a warm spot on her chest. Peeking between her fingers, she saw the pink crest of light shinning over her heart. The symbol sprung into the air, and in a flash it transformed into an egg that looked like a pair of wings folded over with yellow paws sticking out from under them. It was the digiegg of Light. 

            The glare receded, and Kari looked at her partner. "Gatomon, look. Our digiegg!" 

            "You mean I can armor digivolve again? That's great! We'll get to the control spire a lot faster if I can fly." Gatomon paused and looked at her tail ring. Gennai had told her that she couldn't armor or DNA digivolve while she still possessed her tail ring, but Kari knew the prospect of giving up all her strength was difficult. Gatomon hesitantly slid it off and handed it to Kari. "Please take good care of this. I don't want to lose it again." 

            Kari nodded, "I won't." pulled out her digital camera and slid the neck strap through the ring, then fastened the camera around her neck. "Let's get to work." She held up the egg. "Digiarmor energize!" 

            A flash of pink light erupted from the egg and encircled Gatomon. "Gatomon armor digivolve to… Nefertimon: The Angel of Light!" Nefertimon was a Sphinx-like feline creature that stood as tall as a horse. Gray body armor and a human-styled mask covered her face, and two white wings rested against her back. 

            Kari mounted her newly transformed partner. "The control spire isn't far. We can destroy it and then search for TK and Patamon." Nefertimon leaped into the air and continued to soar above the rocky chasm. Below, the rock Digimon shook their fists and hurled boulders, but they did not have the range to strike Nefertimon. Kari allowed herself a moment to enjoy the wind caressing her hair as they fly above the danger. The Golemon and Rockmon were trying to climb the walls, which would put them in striking distance, but Nefertimon covered that problem.

            "Cat's Eye Beam!" A small snake statue on her forehead glowed pink and fired dual rays of energy, sniping the other Digimon off the walls. Often, the Digimon would collide with one another and fall to the ground in a heap. Some of them were lucky enough to shatter their dark rings upon impact. Those that were freed began pulling their brethren off and ripping off the slave collars. Kari smiled. She realized that this was probably her first solo mission in the Digital World, and she was doing just great!

            "There's the spire!" Nefertimon nodded towards a black monolith jutting out of the ground like a cancerous tumor. Kari could see several more nearby. She blinked when she noticed a pattern to their formation. One of the spires was actually jutting out the side of a wall, proving that this arrangement was based on a plan, not convenience. 

            She pointed at the nearest spire, "Let's destroy that one first. We can get the other Digimon to help us after that." 

            Nefertimon nodded, and her collar began to glow. "Rosetta Stones!" Several stone tablets materialized in the light and flew at the spire's base. They exploded on impact, and the spire burst into a dusty cloud of loose data. 

            "Great job!" Kari punched her fist in the air. "We did it!" Nefertimon set down near a group of Golemon, whose eyes were returning to normal. Kari smiled at the giant Digimon as she slid to the ground. "Are you feeling better now?" 

            The Golemon nodded, "Yes. Thank you. You save… urgghhh…" The rock creature grasped his head and sunk to his knees, causing the ground to shake. The other Golemon and Gotsumon were suffering from the same pain. 

            "What's wrong?" Kari asked, then gasped when she saw that their eyes had returned to the blood red glow. She glanced over at where the control spire had been. It was still destroyed, so why did they remain enslaved? 

            Not waiting for an answer, Kari mounted Nefertimon and together the lifted into the air.

            "Crimson Curse!" One of the Golemon shot a cloud of red smoke from the volcano-like protrusions on his back. Kari coughed and struggled for breath as the cloud smothered her. Nefertimon wobbled and fell back to the ground. A second Golemon brought his fist up and battered them as they fell. Kari and Nefertimon skidded across the ground, then rolled to a stop. Nefertimon reverted back to Gatomon in a flash of light and went limp.

            Kari staggered to her feet. She had minor scrapes and bruises, but she'd survive. She staggered over to Gatomon, the crimson smoke still hung in her lungs, making it hard to breath. She sweating and coughed, felling a lead weight in her shoulders as she tried to move closer to her partner. 

            "Rock fist attack!" Kari barely saw the rock flying towards her before it struck her in the head, and everything went black.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            TK was no less surprised than Kari when the light came. Just as before, TK's crest of hope shined over his heart, and formed into a yellow egg with small wings and a mane of hair coming out of the top. TK gazed at the digiegg curiously, wondering where the light had come from. _Maybe Davis or one of the others will know something about it._

            Patamon stirred in TK's arms. "Ughh… TK?" 

            TK smiled at his friend, "Are you okay?"

            Patamon rubbed his head. "I got a massive migraine, but I think I'm okay." He flapped the small wings atop his head and hovered in front of TK. "What'd I miss?" 

            "The Digimon Emperor. And we got our digiegg back. I don't know how. Some weird light came over me and the egg just appeared." 

            Patamon looked around. "Where are Kari and Gatomon?"

            "I don't know. I lost them in the rockslide. The Emperor said they were heading towards the nearest control spire, so that's where we should go." 

            "You really trust what he said to you?"

            TK hesitated. "I… I don't know if this is a trap or not, but it makes sense for Kari to head for a control spire. Gatomon's strong enough to destroy it, and if they succeeded they'd free all the Digimon in this sector. We'll have to trust the Emperor's information, but keep our guard up." 

            Patamon nodded. "Sounds good. Let's go for it!" 

            TK held up his digiegg. "Digiarmor energize!" 

            "Patamon armor digivolve to… Pegasusmon: Flying Hope!" Patamon's body grew into an autumn colored horse wearing golden armor. Pegasusmon flapped his twin angelic wings, getting a feel for them. "I missed this form. Good to be back." 

            TK mounted his steed. "Let's get a move on. Kari's getting farther away from us the more we delay." Pegasusmon reared up and took to the air. They flew past the rockslide and over the route Kari and Gatomon had taken. TK was surprised to see that none of the Golemon and Gotsumon were attacking him. They all watched him with those eerily vacant red eyes.

            All but one. A Gotsumon was frantically waving at him from a small ledge, isolated from the other Digimon. This Rookie Digimon didn't have the same blood-red stare that the others had. This one was free. Pegasusmon pulled down next to the ledge at TK's ordering. 

            "Are you okay?" TK asked the Gotsumon.

            "No!" The Gotsumon said frantically. "None of us are okay! We were free, and then we were enslaved again. Just like that! He put collars on everyone again and took her away!" 

            TK held up a calming hand. "Slow down. Who came? Who was taken?" 

            "ChaosWarGreymon! He flew in, replaced the control spire the girl destroyed, then slapped dark rings on everyone who was freed and took off with the girl!" 

            "Girl? You mean Kari?" 

            "I don't know! She was riding this weird winged cat. She blew up the control spire but the Digimon who were freed suddenly acted like slaves again. They knocked her out and gave her to ChaosWarGreymon!" 

            "How'd you get away?" 

            "I didn't! ChaosWarGreymon grabbed me and put me here on this ledge. He said that if I didn't tell you were he was he'd put a dark ring on me and make me stand still while a Golemon squashed me!" The Gotsumon wept. 

            TK placed a hand on its rocky shoulder. "It's okay. You've told me what I needed to know, so now you can hide. Don't let ChaosWarGreymon find you again. Now, where did he say he'd be?" 

            "At the tallest peak in the area. That way." He indicated the area above the canyon top. "You can see it from up there." 

            "Thanks." TK motioned Pegasusmon to rise up. Indeed, they could see a small peak reaching up higher than the others. That had to be where ChaosWarGreymon was keeping Kari. "Let's go." 

            "Any plans?" asked Pegasusmon. "I'm no match for a Mega Digimon. We won't have an easy time getting Kari and Gatomon back." 

            TK nodded, "I know, but we gotta try." Pegasusmon took off towards the peak.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *          

            It would be so easy to kill her. She was still unconscious, as was her Gatomon partner. Just one quick thrust, and she'd be carpeting the ground with her blood. ChaosWarGreymon's claws hovered over the girl's throat, begging to drink the life out of her. 

            So vulnerable. So frail. So easy to kill. She couldn't even fight back. But where was the sport in such a kill? If he slit her throat now, she wouldn't even have the chance to scream. There'd be no one to cry in agony at her death. There'd be no looks such as those of the Digidestined when ChaosWarGreymon had killed Shurimon. It would be so anti-climactic. 

            That was why he'd issued a challenge to the other human, the one reported to still be roaming about in this area. He hoped to kill the girl's rescuer first, then slaughter her. It would be a delicious event. The greatest feeling he'd have all day. All he needed was for the sentimental fool to show up. Humans had a knack for making foolish mistakes when someone else needed them. At least, the Digidestined made mistakes. 

            "Mmm…" The girl stirred. ChaosWarGreymon waited… and waited… and then her eyes fluttered open.

            _Smash!_

            The Chaos General shoved his claws down, thrusting them into the ground, just missing her neck by a centimeter. He kept his claw fixed to the ground, pinning her throat against the rocky ground. The girl made a startled cry that rang in his ears like sweet music. "Good morning." He purred. She stared up at him with terrified eyes, and her hands feebly grasped at his claw as if to push it away. Such desperation delighted him.

            "Where's Gatomon?" she tried to sound demanding, but her fear leaked into her voice.

            ChaosWarGreymon nodded over towards the still sleeping Gatomon, sprawled on the ground. "She can't help you now. You're going to die."

            "Kari!" A winged horse with a human boy flew in from the sky. At last! ChaosWarGreymon pulled his claws from the ground and jumped up to meet his challenge. 

            The horse Digimon wasted no time. "Equas beam!" A green triangular beam shot out of the creature's head. ChaosWarGreymon deflected it with his claw shield and surged forward. The Digimon and Digidestined barely dodged the slash of his claws. 

            "Mane wind!" The hairs on the back of the horse's neck shot out like thin darts. They bounced off ChaosWarGreymon's armor without leaving a scratch. His excitement weakened at such a pitiful contest. What sport was there in prey that could not threaten one's life?  

            "Chaotic Force!" ChaosWarGreymon hurled a golden sphere of power at his opponent. The horse Digimon dodged again, but the aftershock of the energy knocked him from the sky. The Digimon fell with his partner, regaining control just before hitting the ground. 

            "Chaotic Force!" The Chaos General sent a barrage of smaller blasts, ripping the ground apart as they missed the evading armor Digimon. The horse was agile if not strong. The winged animal circled around and hovered near the peak where the girl stood watching. ChaosWarGreymon streaked in and delivered a flying kick to the Digimon just as his partner jumped off onto the ground. The Digimon fell to the ground, out of the fight for the moment. 

            "Kari!" The boy ran for his fellow Digidestined. This was the perfect time to kill him, so close to the one he'd come to save. ChaosWarGreymon landed between the two humans, the force of his landing knocking them both to the ground.

            He advanced on the human boy slowly. "You have failed. Now you shall die." 

            "Lightning Paw!" A slash of yellow beams resembling claw slashes bounced off his shoulder armor. The Gatomon had reawakened, but without her tail ring she posed no threat. As she leaped for another attack, ChaosWarGreymon batted her aside like an annoying fly. 

            "Leave them alone!" The girl ran towards him and tackled his leg as if to pull him away from the others. Humans were indeed fools. He knocked her aside as he had the Gatomon. The girl fell limp to the ground. 

            "KARI!" The boy tried to run to her, but ChaosWarGreymon stood in his path. He raised his claws slowly, meticulously, savoring every movement of his muscles. This would be the killing blow. This would be his first termination of a Digidestined. How he wanted to savor this moment. He sniffed the boy's fear. Felt the tingle of the despair and terror he felt as his death near. He smelled… the Emperor! 

            How did this human have the Emperor's scent on him? It was so strong, as if the Emperor were standing before him! ChaosWarGreymon was so surprised that he did not notice the flying horse returning to battle. 

            "Star Shower!" A galaxy of shinning stars rained from the creature's wings, pelting ChaosWarGreymon. Taken off guard, the Chaos General fell to the ground, unhurt but momentarily stunned. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "Thanks, Pegasusmon!" TK ran over to him and jumped on the Armor Digimon's back. "Fly me closer to Kari. I can't get past ChaosWarGreymon." 

            But at that moment, the very Digimon in question recovered and stood up. With a roar of outrage and hatred, he sprung at TK and Pegasusmon, claws outstretched.

            "Hang on!" cried Pegasusmon as he dove down. TK could feel the breeze from ChaosWarGreymon's movement as he passed overhead. Pegasusmon veered to the right and tried to circle around to pick up Kari, but the dark Mega was once again on their tail. Pegasusmon steered away from the mountain.

            "Pegasusmon, no! We have to go back for Kari." 

            "We can't! The minute I stop to let you off he'll have us both. We have to get him away from Kari and then circle back." He dove into the canyons, dashing between various outcroppings of rock and dodging the enslaved Digimon. ChaosWarGreymon was right behind them, breaking through rocks and his own servants. 

            As they flew TK frantically typed in a message on his d-terminal, hoping to contact Kari. He sent an alert message, and heaved a sigh of relief when he got a return. Kari and Gatomon were awake, though very sore. Gatomon was too tired to armor digivolve, which meant that TK would have to come and pick them up. No simple task.

            TK quickly devised a plan, though it was probably his most dangerous idea to date. "Pegasusmon, circle back and head for Kari. We're going to pick her and Gatomon up." 

            "I can't. We have to lose ChaosWarGreymon."

            "That's not going to happen. He's faster than us and he's a hunter. We won't be able to lose him. Just head back towards Kari and don't stop for anything." Pegasusmon complied and circled around, dodging ChaosWarGreymon by a fraction. They sped towards the peak where they'd left Kari and Gatomon, who stood ready at the cliff's edge. 

            "Don't stop, just fly as close to them as you can!" TK instructed his partner. They'd have to time this just right, or Kari and Gatomon would be dead. 

            As they came closer, Kari, holding Gatomon in one arm, sprinted for the cliff's edge. At the very tip of the plummet, Kari leaped forward with all her might, just as Pegasusmon passed by. TK stretched out his arm trying to grasp Kari's. For a moment, it looked as though Kari would fall short, but TK leaned forward and grabbed her wrist, nearly falling off his mount in the process. Holding on to Pegasusmon's neck with one arm, he tried to pull Kari up with his one arm. She was too heavy, though. He couldn't lift her.

            Seeing his frustration, Gatomon sprung out from under Kari's arm and climbed up the link her arm and TK's formed. Gatomon settled in front of TK and helped pull Kari up. Kari settled in behind TK, panting heavily. 

            "I didn't think we'd make it." She heaved a sigh of relief."

            "We're not safe yet." TK warned as Pegasusmon dodged a Chaotic Force blast. "Head back to where we split up from the others. We'll have to try to outrun him!" 

            Pegasusmon nodded, "Okay. But it won't be easy with two extra passengers." 

            "Give it all you've got. We didn't make it this far to die now!" 

            Pegasusmon surged forward, with ChaosWarGreymon in hot pursuit. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Author's Note: ChaosWarGreymon's been hunting the Digidestined for over a year now, but his time is coming. Next chapter is the final showdown before the Digidestined and their hunter. How will they defeat a Mega with only six armors? Well, you'll just have to read the next chapter, and I'll have to hurry and type it. 

            See you soon. 


	5. CounterAttack!

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 5: Counter-attack!

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Digimon's Creatures or Characters or Storyline.*

            Author's Note: TA-DA! I'm back, and I'm a graduate. After what has to have been my most demanding semester _ever_, I am celebrating by resuscitating my old story. Here's hoping I never take this long to post a chapter again.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            The moist grass carpeting the forest floor muffled Raidramon's footsteps, denying the group even the most basic sound. Davis, Ken, Datirimon, and Wormmon had been riding for over an hour without saying a word. The silence from the group was bad enough, but the muting shroud covering the entire area was maddening. Davis wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. It was getting to the point where he didn't care if he attracted ChaosWarGreymon himself. At least then Davis would see another sign of life in the Digital World! He clenched Raidramon's handholds tightly and gritted his teeth, feeling the urge rise up in him.

            "Hey, Davis?" 

            "AHH!" Davis jumped in his seat when Ken spoke up behind him. He hadn't expected a sudden break in the silence. He slipped and nearly fell off his mount. 

            "What's your problem?" asked Datirimon.

            "Nothing." Davis huffed. "You just startled me." 

            Ken helped Davis back up and said, "I've been thinking about what you said earlier: about me not blaming myself for this situation and focusing on defeating the new Emperor?" 

            "Yeah, what about it?" 

            "I finally realized that you're right. I can't hold myself responsible for what this new Emperor is doing. I won't give in to blaming myself like I did before."

            Davis grinned, "Took you that long to figure it out, huh?" 

            "Watch the sarcasm. Don't make me sick Puttimon on you." They both laughed. 

            "Davis!" Raidramon's ears twitched. "Something's coming." 

            Davis cupped his hand to his ear. "I don't hear anything." 

            "My ears are this big for a reason." Raidramon braced himself. "Better get ready for a fight!" Everyone nodded and slid off.

            Ken produced his digiegg from his d-terminal. "Digiarmor energize!" 

            "Wormmon armor digivolve to… Puttimon: Cute Kindness!" The imp Digimon stood next to Raidramon, both poised for an attack. "Charge!" They lunged forward into the thicket of bushes. A loud thump and scream followed shortly after they disappeared. There were no explosions or sounds of battle. Instead, it sounded like a large argument with several voices shouting at one another. All of them sounded very familiar. Especially one loud, female voice.

            "Get offa me! Is this your idea of a joke? You're getting grass stains all over my clothes!" 

            Davis glanced at Ken. "You don't think..?" 

            Ken nodded, "We're in for a lot of trouble now."

Datirimon looked at them quizzically. "What's wrong? Why are you guys so scared? Who's after us now?"

"No one is after us. I think we just attacked one of our teammates. And if it's who I think it is, we might want to run and find ChaosWarGreymon. He's not as scary as Yolei when she's angry." 

"You could always disappear into those Hiding Trees." Datirimon nodded towards a cluster of unobtrusive maples around the clearing. "There's at least ten of them around here." 

Davis scratched his head, "Let's keep that option open. But I guess we better call our Digimon off first." They both inched toward the thicket with the apprehension of doomed men. 

            On the other side, Raidramon and Puttimon were standing by with bewildered expressions, too stunned to move. Raidramon's paws rested on Yolei's back, pinning her to the ground. Puttimon sat atop Cody, forcing him to stay in the same position. Armadillomon and Hawkmon stood off to the side, watching the fiasco with bewildered but amused faces. They looked at Ken and Davis with a mixture of pity and humor. They knew the two humans were in for the talk down of their lives.

            "Davis!" Yolei roared, "Get this oversized lizard off of me!" 

            "I-I'm not a lizard." Raidramon complained. His tone signaled that he knew how much trouble he was in.

            Davis asked, "You promise not to kill me when I get him off you?"

            "I don't make promises like that!" 

            Davis gave a resigned sigh. "Get off her, Raidramon." The armor Digimon stepped off, bowing apologetically as he retreated to Davis' side. 

            "You too, Puttimon." Ken's partner hopped off Cody and apologized. 

            Yolei was on her feat in less than a heartbeat. Davis and Ken cringed together as she berated them. "I can't believe you'd jump your own teammates! What kind of Digidestined are you? You could have killed us, and you nearly ruined my clothes! If we weren't in so much trouble already, I'd have Hawkmon armor digivolve and stomp you two into the ground. I don't need this kind of aggravation! If you two only knew the trouble Cody and I have been through. We got attacked by a Tortomon and got lost in this weird special thingy, and then we had to fight Ninjamon and ChaosWarGreymon! And where were you two during all this, huh? Why didn't you use your D3's instead of attacking us with your Digimon?"

            Davis said, "Well… our D3's don't work right now." 

            "That's no excuse! What were you…" Yolei finally noticed Wormmon. "Oh wow!" She ran over and hugged him. "He's so cute! Ken, who is this?" 

            Ken blinked, "That's… um… that's Puttimon. He's Wormmon's armor form."

            "He's your partner? That's so great! A cute Digimon for a cute boy!" Everyone grinned at Ken's blushing. 

            Cody finally spoke up. "Wormmon can armor digivolve?" 

            Datirimon nodded. "Yep. Thanks to me!" 

            Ken explained, "We found Datirimon and rescued him from some controlled Digimon. He used an ability given to him by Oikawa to recreate our digieggs from our crest power. He then sent a burst of that same power out over the digital world so your digieggs would return as well." 

            Cody nodded, "So that's what that light was. It came at a good time. We would still be trapped if it weren't for our digieggs." Cody explained the spatial warp they'd encountered. 

            Davis said, "Whoa. That's pretty weird. This new Emperor's got some freaky tricks. He can even keep control over Digimon after we destroyed a control spire." He told them how they'd managed to destroy a control spire, only to have the Digimon become enslaved once again. "It's like the control spire didn't even matter."

            Hawkmon scratched his head. "We appear to be caught off guard constantly by this new Emperor's tactics. Despite their similarity to Ken's old plans, these new dark rings and spires behave very differently. I wonder how the new Emperor knows how to orchestrate all of this." 

            Davis shrugged and looked around. "Well, we can shut his plans down once we're all back together. Which reminds me, have you guys seen Kari or TK?" Yolei and Cody shook their heads. 

Cody said, "Yolei and I were able to send short-range messages to one another on our d-terminals. Maybe we can contact them?" 

Davis pulled out his d-terminal. "Let's give it a try."

            *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

"Chaotic Force!" Pegasusmon drove to the side as a condensed sphere of power shot past. Kari clung to TK while TK clung to Pegasusmon's neck, sandwiching Gatomon in the process. 

"Pegasusmon," TK said, "you have to go faster!"   
            "This is it." Pegasusmon panted. "Can't go any faster! You're all too heavy." 

Kari glanced behind them and saw that ChaosWarGreymon was close behind. "I think he's holding back on purpose. He's chasing us for the fun of it!" 

"Great." muttered TK. "So he could overtake us any time he wants to… There's gotta be some way out of this." He refused to let Kari, Gatomon, and Patamon die. Even the most powerful Digimon had a weakness. They just had to exploit it. But that raised the question: what was ChaosWarGreymon's weakness? 

_He's obsessed with hunting. A smart Digimon would have finished us off right away, but he's holding back, trying to get some sport out of us. _Maybe TK should challenge him to a hunt-or-be-hunted game? No. There was no way he'd be able to outmaneuver the hunter. There wasn't enough time to have Gatomon armor digivolve and fly Kari to safety. It didn't appear that there was any way to evade the dark Mega.

A chime from TK's d-terminal ended his line of scenarios. He quickly opened it and read the e-mail. "Davis and Ken have met up with Cody and Yolei!"

Gatomon huffed. "Great. A Digidestined reunion. How does that help us?" 

TK smiled. "I bet ChaosWarGreymon's too focused on us right now to notice another attack. Davis and the others are near where we first split up. We're close by, so let's head for them as fast as we can!" 

"Are you sure?" Kari asked. "We'll just lead ChaosWarGreymon to them." 

"I know. But they've probably got Armor Digimon as well, so we'll stand a better chance in a fight. Plus, they can surprise ChaosWarGreymon while we lead him in."

Kari grinned, "And you told me not to set myself up as a decoy." 

"We're not acting as decoys. We'll be bait." 

Kari sighed while TK punched instructions into his d-terminal. "Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" 

            *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

"Here they come." Davis signaled from a branch. The Armor Digimon took their positions from under the cover of the trees. Raidramon, Puttimon, Halsemon, and Digimon raised their attention to the sky, focusing their power towards the target zone. Davis slid down the tree trunk and ran over to the group, who stood poised to run. "TK and Kari will meet us back in the clearing. Then we can take ChaosWarGreymon down!" 

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Yolei demanded. "Six Armor Digimon won't stand much chance against a Mega. We'd need a miracle to beat this guy!" 

"So you're saying we should run? I don't think so. We've tried that already and look where it got us." 

"You're both right." Cody broke into the argument. "We can't keep running, but we can't exactly stand and fight either. We'd lose in a head on confrontation. We'll fall back and look for a chance to surprise him, just like we are now." 

"They're coming, they're coming, they're coming!" Datirimon hopped back and forth excitedly. Pegasusmon flashed by overhead "Fire, fire, fire!" 

"Thunder Blast!"

"Heart Beam!" 

"Eagle Eye!" 

"Gold Rush!" The four attacks rocketed up and struck ChaosWarGreymon in the chest just as he appeared. His roar actually dwarfed the noise of the explosion while he fell back and crashed into the forest. 

"Let's go!" Ken signaled the others to run. 

They reached TK's group just as Pegasusmon touched down. "Hey, Kari!" Davis called. "You okay?" 

Kari nodded, "Barely. Thank you for getting ChaosWarGreymon off our backs." 

Davis grinned proudly, "All in a days work!" 

Yolei huffed, "Hey! We did just as much as you did." 

Cody blindsided the argument, "We don't have time for this. ChaosWarGreymon will be on us again in no time. We have to go!"

"No." TK said quietly. Everyone stared at him with dumbfounded expressions. 

"TK?" Kari asked worriedly.

"We can't run. Not any more. Pegasusmon is too tired, and ChaosWarGreymon will just go on killing and conquering if we run away now. He's just like the Digimon Emperor: obsessed with power and he doesn't care who he hurts. I'm not going to run away and let him do as he pleases. We have to stop him, now!" 

Davis nodded, "I'm with you, TK! Let's show that weirdo who's in charge!" 

Kari was less enthusiastic, "How are we supposed to fight when our Digimon's combine strength can't even hurt him?"

"He can be surprised." said TK. "If we lure him into a trap, we can take him unaware and inflict some major damage before he has the chance to retaliate." 

"Good plan! Good plan!" Datirimon squeaked. "I wanna see you guys beat ChaosWarGreymon! Then maybe Yukio can come back." 

Cody asked, "So where do we set this trap? ChaosWarGreymon can smell our Digimon very clearly." 

"The hiding trees…" Ken looked at Datirimon. "You mentioned there were a lot of hiding trees near where we ambushed Yolei and Cody. Can you show us where they are?" 

"Sure!" 

Ken nodded. "I have an idea then. Let's move!" They all followed Ken and Datirimon, not sure what he was plotting.

            *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

Six Digidestined all gathered together with their partners. That was twelve prey! ChaosWarGreymon didn't bother to stand up while he contemplated the hunt before him. There had been four attacks that had knocked him to the ground. They were all too weak to harm him but they'd had enough force to momentarily faze him. Such power could only come from the Digidestined's Digimon, and no Digimon would be caught without its partner. Including the two human's that ChaosWarGreymon had been chasing, it was clear that these humans had finally reassembled; meaning that his hunt had finally reached its peak. 

All those humiliations. All the escapes. His prey had evaded him too many times to be tolerated! They would die _now_. No gloating. No hunting. No mercy. He would stain the ground with their blood this very moment. After a day of hide-and-seek, he would be the winner, and show his loyalty to the Emperor. Without the Digidestined, there was nothing that could challenge the new Emperor. 

With a feral growl, ChaosWarGreymon stood erect and charged through the trees, smashing anything that got in his way. Now there would be a reckoning. 

            *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

"So we're the bait again." Kari sighed while they waited. "How did Ken talk us into this?"

TK shrugged. "It makes sense when you think about it. ChaosWarGreymon was focused on us, so he'll probably be tracking us first." He looked at Pegasusmon, standing beside him. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be. How about you, Nefertimon?" 

Gatomon's newly evolved form nodded. "I suppose so. Though I'm not at a hundred percent after ChaosWarGreymon batted me around the last time." 

A loud crash signaled that their opponent neared. Trees toppled one after another. ChaosWarGreymon was clearing a path. TK glanced at Kari, who was trembling slightly. He hesitantly reached down and placed his sweaty hand on hers. Kari glanced at him, then she smiled and the trembling stopped. 

He tried to reassure her. "We'll be fine. Like I said, we've been through this before." 

Kari nodded. "Yeah. But next time Ken can be the bait."

ChaosWarGreymon finally slammed through the trees. His eyes glowed red with bloodlust and every muscle swelled with terrifying power. He didn't even slow down when he spotted the two humans. He instead screamed and charged forward with all his claws brandished at their throats. 

"NOW!" cried TK.

"Fire Rocket!" 

"Double Stars!"

"Gold Rush!"

"Heart Beam!" The trees fired at the dark Mega. Blasts of power sprung from the wooden surfaces of several trunks encircling the area, blasting ChaosWarGreymon on each side. The titan staggered and swayed under the barrage, but didn't appear to be wounded. 

Kari looked at the remaining Armor Digimon. "Attack now!" 

"Rosetta Stones!" 

"Star Shower!" The storm of stone slabs and rocketing stars joined the assault, adding even more force. With a final roar of defiance, ChaosWarGreymon vanished in an explosion that knocked TK and Kari onto the ground. 

Flamedramon and the other Armor Digimon emerged from their hiding trees, along with their partners. They all took up positions around the smoking crater they'd just created. "Did we get him?" 

Cody shook his head. "A Mega wouldn't fall to an attack like that. But I think we did hurt him."

"ROOOWWWWAAAARRR!" The smoke blew away in a gust of power with ChaosWarGreymon at the center of the storm. His energy shook the ground and sliced rocks in two. The Digidestined and their Digimon braced against the maelstrom. ChaosWarGreymon's armor was cracked and broken. His claw shields had shattered into jagged shards that littered the ground or cut into his skin. Thin black liquid leaked out of the wounds, falling and being absorbed into the ground. 

With another scream of pure rage, ChaosWarGreymon formed a sphere of terrifying gold above his head and threw it at the assembled Digimon. All the Armor Digimon responded quickly by snatching up their partners and leaping to safety. The destructive energy continued on, cutting a path through the trees and vanishing into the horizon, where it exploded. 

Flamedramon and Shurimon deposited their partners near the trees before resuming their attack. "Flaming fist!" Flamedramon's hand flamed and he jumped towards his enemy to deliver a blow to the chest. ChaosWarGreymon was moving much slower. His wounds hindered him. The attack struck dead center and managed to further crack the armor, but did not draw more of the strange liquid that served as blood. 

ChaosWarGreymon grabbed Flamedramon by the head and threw him at Shurimon. The digital ninja jumped to the side and wrapped his extendable arm around Flamedramon. Shurimon reeled his teammate in before he could strike the trees. 

Meanwhile, Puttimon and Digmon attempted a double attack. 

"Heart Beam!" Puttimon fired several beams into the air.

"Rock Cracking!" Digmon drove all his drills into the soil, spawning a massive fissure. The break in the rocks shot ahead of the beams of energy and forced ChaosWarGreymon into the air, where Puttimon's attacks struck home. ChaosWarGreymon howled his fury as more chunks of armor blasted off, revealing his chest. Or rather, what should have been his chest.

Beneath his armor, there was no flesh. No muscles. Nothing that resembled a living, solid creature. There was only liquid. Black, churning liquid that flowed and swirled like water held in a tank. It did not gush out of the wound, but instead trickled out as if some force where holding a majority of the fluid within.

The Digidestined and their partners stared at him in complete awe and fear. Here before them was no Digimon, nor a control-spire born Digimon. This was completely alien to them; a mockery of all they knew. This was a creature that impersonated a Digimon and killed other creatures without mercy. This was a breed of foe they'd never encountered. 

"What _are you?" asked TK._

ChaosWarGreymon's eyes flashed pure red. "Your executioner." He rose into the air once more and began hurling Chaotic Force attacks randomly, howling his fury. "DIE! EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING! DIE!" The attacks soared out over the landscape and blanketing it in explosions and death. Sometimes the screams of dying Digimon could be heard, whereas other blows smothered all sound. No matter where the attacks struck, however, something died. Trees, insects, Digimon, animals; they all vanished in one massive flash of fire and light. ChaosWarGreymon continued to howl and roar, blasting uncontrollably and without caution. Even his own control spires fell under his fury. 

"He's crazy!" Davis cried. "He's gonna destroy everything!"

"Pegasusmon!" TK turned to his partner, imploring. 

The winged horse nodded and galloped forward. "Flamedramon, come with me!" The Davis' partner mounted the steed and they rose up to meet the berserker. One attack came far too close and Pegasusmon lose control in the attack's wake. The blast of power struck the ground near the Digidestined and forced them once more to the ground. Flamedramon used Pegasusmon's back as a springboard to launch him even higher, right at his target. 

            "Fire Rocket!" The flame shield encased his body and Flamedramon struck once more. This time the attack did not hinder the Chaos General, but it did stop him from attacking. ChaosWarGreymon's attention refocused on his prey. As Flamedramon descended to the ground, he was completely bereft the ability to defend or attack. The general ceased this opportunity and struck with his foot, kicking Flamedramon with such force that he reverted to Veemon. 

            "Chaotic Force!" A second blast struck near the other grounded Digimon and sapped them of all their strength. Shurimon, Puttimon, and Digmon all reverted back to their rookie forms. Only the two winged Digimon were nimble enough to evade the blow. The children escaped the brunt of the explosion thanks to their partners' protection. But nothing could save them from the monster that approached.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            No more hunting. No more games. No more second chance. No more mercy.

            This chase had lasted all day, and it was time for the kill. But now his prey was more than just the thirteen beings before him. This world had worked to thwart him. The tress that had hidden his prey, the flowers that had worked to mask their scent, the rivers that served as guides and the rocks that served as deterrents to his chase. Even the control spires themselves had slowed him through their warped space abilities. ChaosWarGreymon was finished with this realm. Let it all burn. Let the creatures and the plants and the landscape all die, he cared not. This world was to become a slave colony anyway, just as Earth would. Who cared if there was a smaller pool of slaves to chose from?

            He advanced on the Digidestined slowly, intently. He no longer had blades with which to gouge out their eyes or vivisect them, but he had his own fists and claws. He would beat them to a bloody pulp, then rip out their throats and feel their warm blood trickle down his hands. And then he'd laugh, reveling in the completion of his most challenging hunt ever. 

            "Star Shower!" A hail of stars struck him from above. In his weakened state, the attack actually hurt. But even with his armor in pieces, he would not be defeated by such a measly attack. He concentrated a small pulse of energy above his index finger and tossed it at his attacker. A larger attack would have killed the Digimon, but where was the sport in that? He'd worked too hard for a quick, easy kill now. The blast of energy exploded against the flying stallion, and blew him into the sky, only to fall back to the ground. To the Digimon's credit, it did not revert to its rookie form. His partner, the human with the scent of the Emperor on him, ran to check the horse's wounds. 

            ChaosWarGreymon resumed his advance, eager to kill everyone and everything in his sight. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "Pegasusmon!" TK shook his partner gently. "Speak to me." 

            "I'm… I'm alright. I just need a moment." 

            "A moment is something we don't have!" Cody exclaimed. "We can't keep fighting like this. He's going to destroy us at this rate!" 

            "So we should just run away?" Davis protested. "He'll kill everyone in the forest if we leave!"

            TK stared at the approaching murderer. This _thing_ in front of him wasn't a Digimon, and it was unlike anything he'd seen before. It was so much like BlackWarGreymon: an artificial being whose violence threatened the whole world. But this creature knew the harm it was causing and enjoyed it. It had no heart, no soul, just bloodlust. It was darkness, uncaring and malevolent. For a moment, TK considered ordering Pegasusmon into an all-out assault. Just keep striking the monster until it stopped moving. Beat it into the ground and into its grave. 

            TK's fist clenched. It was so tempting. He could feel the words squirming inside his mouth, trying to wriggle out through his lips. But he kept the words back, and forced his anger to wait. A frontal attack would do nothing. He'd only end up sending his partner to his doom. 

            Ken stepped forward. "We can't run away; not from this. If we can't defeat this Chaos General, then we'll never be strong enough to defeat the Digimon Emperor. We have to overcome this monster so we can defeat the true threat. We have to stay strong and face him no matter how powerful he may appear. You guys defeated me when I was the Emperor, even though I had an army of Digimon backing me up. And you always found a way to defeat Digimon that were stronger than you. We managed to repel BlackWarGreymon together, even though he was a Mega as well. Let's not give up now!"

            Davis nodded, "That's the spirit, Ken! We're gonna beat this guy no matter what." 

            TK looked at Ken and Davis with a mixture of envy and disbelief. They were staying to fight a battle others would deem impossible. They showed no hesitation, though they had to have some doubts. It was insane to stay, yet it was foolish to run away. The Digidestined had to hope for victory and pursue that hope with every ounce of strength. Retreating would never end this conflict. 

            A red light shone from Ken's pocket, momentarily diverting everyone's attention from the approaching general. Ken pulled out his d-terminal, which was flashing the symbol for Kindness on its screen. At the push of a button, the digiegg of Kindness appeared and hovered over the consul. The rose-shaped egg's light began to shift from a deep red to shinning gold. Its aura extended to the edges of the clearing, halting ChaosWarGreymon in its blinding light. The dark imposture snarled and shielded his eyes. 

            "Hey!" Veemon and the other Digimon stood up, "I feel better!" All of the Digimon chorused the return of their strength.

            Davis said, "I know this light… This is…" 

            As if in reply, the petals of the digiegg began to open, revealing a shinning core at the its center. The light rose into the air and split in two, each half descending to Ken and Davis. The two Digidestined held up their hand to receive the new power. In a final burst of glorious light, two new digieggs appeared before them. Both were golden, but stylized very differently. The first one was familiar to Davis. It was created from a mixture of sharp angles to form a basic square with a mesa-like top. The egg itself rested upon a small pedestal that almost looked like an armored foot. The white insignia on the top announced the new creation as the digiegg of Miracles. 

            The second egg, by contrast, was completely round with a cone-shaped base. One curving wing protruded from the top, and there was a symbol the egg's face that looked like an "S" turned on its side, almost like a half-finished infinity symbol. Ken frowned, "I don't recognize this." 

            Datirimon hopped forward. "That's what Yukio told me about!! That's the power he put in your digiegg, Ken. It was made from your crest, so it has the power to create new digieggs. These are the digieggs of Miracles and Fate!" 

            The newly formed golden digieggs descended towards Ken and Davis. Davis reached for his egg like it was an old friend. Ken was far more hesitant. "So I'm the Digidestined of Fate?"

            Davis shrugged, "Don't read too much into it. I got the digiegg of Friendship, 'cept I usually end up ticking my friends off." Ken grinned slightly. Davis continued, "Let's show this guy what real power is all about!" 

            Ken nodded his agreement and they both held up their new digieggs. "Golden armor energize!" The world vanished into a golden light.

            "Veemon golden armor digivolve to… Magnamon!" Veemon's golden armor form was a taller, more humanoid version of Veemon. His armor covered most of his body, leaving only his upper arms legs, and belly bare. The armor was cut at sharp angles, with triangular horns rising up from Magnamon's head and knees to form V shapes. Two huge shoulder pads jutted out, revealing a set of thrusters underneath. 

            "Wormmon golden armor digivolve to… Hypermon!" Wormmon took on a human form as well. His skin color changed to dark black, which made his golden armor stand out even more. In contrast to Magnamon's armor, Hypermon's was rounded with no angles at all. It covered the same body sections as Magnamon's armor, but his shoulder pads were much shorter. His smooth mask had two rose colored eye covers that looked like fly's eyes. Hypermon's hands were sheathed beneath a pair of large blasters. His most noticeable feature was the pair of large metallic wings protruding from his back. They were styled after the wing atop the digiegg of fate, and blue fires burning at the tips showed them to be a set of thrusters rather than biological wings. 

            Ken smiled, "Now _that's_ what a partner Digimon should look like!" 

            Hypermon glanced at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

            "Nothing!" 

            The two golden armor Digimon stepped forward to face their opponent. ChaosWarGreymon had recovered from the initial shock of the blast and stood with his claws outstretched. Without a word, both sides charged each other. 

            Hypermon flew in first, his thrusters giving him an amazing burst of speed. ChaosWarGreymon swung with his right claw but Hypermon used a burst of energy to swing around to the side and dodge the blow. Having put all his weight into the blow, ChaosWarGreymon stumbled forward, which gave Magnamon a chance to strike. "Magna Kick!" He slammed his armored foot into ChaosWarGreymon's face. The blow did not knock the dark Mega down, but it did stagger him. Magnamon followed up his attack with a series of punches, and Hypermon came around to add his own blows to the fray. Their combine assault pushed ChaosWarGreymon even farther back and broke off more chunks of armor, revealing an increasing pool of the strange liquid underneath. 

            Enraged, ChaosWarGreymon brought his leg up and kicked Hypermon away, he then brought his fists down in a pile-driver that smashed into Magnamon's back. Magnamon fell on his face and would have been stomped by ChaosWarGreymon had Hypermon not returned to the fight. ChaosWarGreymon opted to gain some ground and began to rise into the air, but Magnamon lunged forward and grabbed hold of his ankles, restricting him to the ground. Hypermon resumed his blows of punches and kicks, culminating in one final kick to the stomach using both his feet. 

            Magnamon followed up the attack by jumping up and bashing his fist into ChaosWarGreymon's chin. The two defenders then tried their energy attacks.

            "Magna Blast!" Golden light shot forth from Magnamon's armor.

            "Hyper Laser!" Hypermon's cannon-gauntlets fired twin beams of light. Both attacks struck dead-on. ChaosWarGreymon momentarily vanished in an explosion. 

            "Did we finish him?" Magnamon asked hopefully. Despite their strong start, hurting ChaosWarGreymon required an immense amount of strength from the golden armor Digimon. Both were already panting heavily, and the battle had just renewed. 

            "CHAOTIC FORCE!" A massive sphere launched at them. Magnamon and Hypermon were barely able to jump out of way before the attack struck the ground and sent them tumbling in free-fall. The two Digimon crashed down near their teammates, who ran to see if they were all right. 

            ChaosWarGreymon emerged from the smoking crater created from the previous attack. His armor was hardly noticeable anymore. Most of his body was now revealed, and all of it was a rippling darkness. But there was one feature – newly revealed by Magnamon and Hypermon's joint attack – that stood out. ChaosWarGreymon's neck armor had been destroyed, revealing a dark spiral underneath. The shape was almost standard for the advanced slave collar that could control Ultimates, with one exception. The spiral control device had glowing red spikes lining its surface. It flashed and pulsed, as if it were losing energy. 

            Cody pointed at the spiral, "That's our target! We have to destroy it." 

            TK nodded, "Pegasusmon, Nefertimon, hold him in place so Magnamon and Hypermon can attack!" The two winged Digimon nodded and took flight. Gliding parallel to each other, their leg front leg armor began to glow.

            "Golden noose!" They crossed paths and formed a line of energy between their armor. Flying in at full speed, they circled ChaosWarGreymon several times. With each pass, the noose wound around tighter and tighter, until it pinned his arms to his side. ChaosWarGreymon howled and struggled against his bondage, but did not have the strength to break it.

            Yolei looked at Hawkmon, "Let's give 'em a hand. Digiarmor energize!" Cody mimicked Yolei's command and both Hawkmon and Armadillomon armor digivolved to Shurimon and Digmon again. 

            "Now!" ordered Magnamon, "All together! Magna Blast!" 

            "Hyper Laser!"

            "Double Stars!"

            "Gold Rush!" 

            The attacks reached for ChaosWarGreymon's neck like hungry predators.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            So this was the taste of fear. 

            Struggling against the energy binding him, ChaosWarGreymon knew he was defeated. He was tired. So very weak. He no longer had the strength to break the bond or fire another attack. 

            Shame welled up in him; shame at being outsmarted and overpowered by his prey. He'd been eluded and avoided all day. There'd been so many chances; so many times he could have killed the very creatures that threatened his life now. The blood lust was gone, as was the adrenaline rush that came with the hunt. There was only fear, the fear of a creature that knew its life was ending. All living beings felt his terror when their lives were threatened. No doubt ChaosWarGreymon had caused such fear in his own prey. 

            What was that old human saying? "He who lives by the sword dies by the sword?" Well, such sentimentality was not to his taste. He did not regret the pleasure he took from the hunt, or the weak lives that he'd weeded out. This was the purpose of the hunt: to kill off the weaker lives so that the strong would grow and prosper. If he was to die now, then he was weaker than those who slew him. He deserved to die. 

            Taking solace in the natural selection of the hunt, ChaosWarGreymon relaxed his struggling and tilted his head back; bearing his neck to the superior hunters. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            The attacks struck without mercy, and within moments there were chunks of shattered control spiral covering the ground. ChaosWarGreymon stood for a moment, his body leaking the strange black fluid. He twitched and trembled, then sunk to his knees and fell on his belly. And then he melted. 

            His armor sagged and fell apart, dissolving into the same black fluid that gushed from underneath. His body faded away and became an ever-expanding pool of dark water that stained the ground. The grass smothered beneath the liquid turned dark brown and shriveled up. The Digidestiend stepped back from the water's edge, unsure what it would do to them. The pool finally stopped expanding, leaving a patch of dead plant life in its wake. 

            "That's…" Kari's skin faded to pale white, and she broke out in a terrible sweat. "The Dark Ocean. That water's from the Dark Ocean." Davis placed a hand on her shoulder while TK held her hand. It took a few moments for their comfort to calm Kari.

            "That's correct. The Dark Ocean is one force behind this battle." A figure stepped out from the trees. He wore a white robe with brown lining, similar to the dress of the guardians of the Digital World who had created the digivices. His black hair hung around his shoulders, and his once pale skin was now a much more healthy pink hue. 

            "Yukio!" Datirimon hopped over to his partner and leaped into his arms. 

            Yukio Oikawa smiled at his friend, "You've done very well, Datirimon. Thanks to you, we have a fighting chance once again."

            "Oikawa!" The Digidestined ran to see him. "You're free!" 

            Oikawa smiled and nodded, "For the moment, yes. ChaosWarGreymon's defeat has caused a loss of power among the control spires, but I feel their energy returning. They will once again ensnare me."

            Ken protested, "But we just defeat the Chaos General."

            "You defeated _a_ Chaos General. There are still two left."

            "Two?" Yolei moaned.

            Cody agreed, "We barely defeated this one."

            "I know it will be difficult, but I am certain that you will succeed in this battle." He looked at TK. "The next phase of this war will take place on Earth. The Emperor has set his ambitions towards conquering both worlds. You must take advantage of this window and return home so that you can defeat the new Emperor. But before you go, there is something I must tell you." Something about the way he was looking at TK unnerved the whole group. 

            "This new Emperor has crest power, the same as yours. In fact, he has the crest of Hope."

            "That's not possible!" TK said, "_I'm_ the Digidestined of Hope."

            Oikawa nodded, "Yes, but don't forget that Davis, Yolei, and Cody all have the same power as Tai, Sora, and Izzy. It's not inconceivable that someone else has your crest power." 

            Davis said, "But Datirimon told us that there wasn't anyone else who had TK's crest power!"

            "Did not! Did not! Did not!" Datirimon bounced up and down furiously. "I said that we couldn't find anyone with as much hope power as TK, but I never said it couldn't happen!"

            TK glanced at his feet. "So this new Emepror has the same power as I do?" 

            Oikawa nodded, "Yes; and as such, I think it would be best for you to have this. Hold up your D3." TK did as told and Oikawa held up a sphere of light in his hand. The pulsing orb floated the small distance between their hands and settled into TK's D3. "This will aid you when the time is right. I'm confident you'll know when to use it."

            "Sure…" TK had no clue what he meant. 

            Oikawa regarded the whole group. "You've done very well to defeat this first general, but the other two are far more powerful. You must fight hard to free both worlds from the Emperor's grasp. Now go, before you loose this chance to return home."

            The Digdestined nodded. Kari asked, "Datirimon, will you come back with us?" 

            "No. My place is with Yukio. I'll cheer for you from this world." 

            The group nodded, not at all surprised by Datirimon's choice to remain with his partner. They walked away in silence, and vanished into the forest. 

            "Do you think they can win?" Datirimon asked his partner.

            "I don't know. They have no idea of what is in store for them. I wish I could warn them, but this is something they must discover for themselves if they are to end the Emperor's threat once and for all. But I fear that my silence might wound their hearts deeper than anything else that might happen." 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Author's Note: I realize that I'm stretching the limits of believability by having six Armor Digimon defeat a Mega, but my hope is that I made it realistic enough to be palatable. Next chapter will feature more character development, which I prefer to fight scenes. Until next time, please leave a review and let me know what you like and what you think I can improve upon. 


	6. Revelations

Darkness Reborn

Chapter Six: Revelations

by Silver

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Digimon's creatures, characters, or storyline. The Chaos Generals are my own creations, but they were inspired by the Digimon World 2 video game.*

Author's Note: Before starting this chapter, I'd like to thank a few people.

Two days before I posted this chapter, I received a very negative review from a newcomer to FF.net. While this person at least appeared to be offering constructive criticism, it was very harsh and didn't offer much encouragement. The review focused more on my "reputation" (something even I'm not aware of) as opposed to the actual story.

I shouldn't let review like that get to me, as they come with posting stories for everyone to see, but I was stung. My friends ChrisDude and Daisukefire were both very supportive as I suffered from a day of writer's block. They helped me put things in perspective and realize that I'm not worried about a reputation, or what standards other people hold me to. I write for my own pleasure, and for the pleasure of those who also enjoy my style of writing. 

I want to thank ChrisDude and Daisukefire, who have stood by me and helped my writing for almost two years now. And I want to thank all the loyal readers who never seem to miss a story I post. You are all a source for inspiration and help me continue to keep writing, even when complete strangers try to deter me. I am very honored that people choose to read my stories.

And on that note, let's get on with this story!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            The first thing TK did after exiting the portal was heave a sigh of relief. Although he'd only been away for a little over half a day, he felt as though he'd been through one of the longest ordeals in his life. This most recent battle had reminded him of the conflict with Piedmon, where the Digidestined had come so close to losing everything they cared about. ChaosWarGreymon – that freak mockery of a Digimon – had nearly wiped them out, along with a good portion of the Digital World. 

            But even with the Chaos General's defeat, TK could not take any pleasure from their victory. They hadn't liberated the Digital World as originally planned. Instead, they'd been forced to retreat and lick their wounds. All five Digimon were exhausted, particularly DemiVeemon and Minomon. Digivolving into Golden Armor Digimon required a tremendous amount of energy; almost more than the already weakened Digimon were able to give. 

            Davis and DemiVeemon yawned in unison. "Oooohhhh booyyy. I don't ever wanna do that again."

            Ken nodded, "That was by far the longest day I have ever spent in the Digital World."

            Yolei said, "At least it's over. ChaosWarGreymon's pushing up daisies now."

            Davis grinned, "More like watering the daisies." 

            "That's not funny." Kari said. "The Dark Ocean is nothing to laugh about."

            "Kari's right." Cody spoke up. "Remember, the Emperor said that there were three Chaos Generals. We've only taken out one. We still have a long way to go." 

            Davis sighed, "So we've got two more, and the Emperor himself? Thanks for giving me something to look forward to."

            TK realized how tired he was himself and yawned. "Right now, the only thing I can look forward to is sleep. I think we can start planning our next step tomorrow."

            "I'm afraid we don't have that much time." The group spun around. Izzy stood in the door with a stern look on his face. "Welcome back."

            "Izzy!" Cody ran to meet his mentor. "You wouldn't believe what's been happening in the Digital World!"

            "I'm sure it's a long story. I've been monitoring the situation all day, but wasn't able to contact you."

            TK nodded, "We know. The Digimon Emperor blocked all our communications."

            "Digimon Emperor?" Izzy glanced hesitantly at Ken.

            "Not me. There's a new Emperor, and he's nothing like I was in the past." 

            "What does he look like?"

            TK said, "He wears a black visor over his eyes and nose. He's tall, with dark blond hair… and he has the crest of Hope."

            "WHAT?" Izzy looked understandably confused. He took a moment to compose himself. "Okay, this is a lot of information absorb all at once. Let's start from the beginning of the day and work our way forward. Don't leave out any details."

            The younger Digidestined recounted the trials of their day to both Izzy and each other. Davis and Ken outlined their meeting of Datirimon and the reemergence of their digieggs. They also explained how destroying a control spire had failed to liberate a band of Floramon. Cody and Yolei remembered their flight from Tortomon, the special distortion area, and the death of Ninjamon.

            Kari also talked about how her destruction of a control spire had not freed any Digimon, and how close she'd come to being killed by ChaosWarGreymon. TK followed up with his meeting with the Emperor, which shocked everyone.

            "He says that he's taking control in order to maintain peace in the Digital World."

            Izzy frowned, "That's a common rational for aggressive acts."

            Ken asked, "You're saying this new Emperor might not realize what he's doing?"

            "Possibly."

            "I don't think that's true." said TK. "Remember that hologram he used to introduce himself? He had ordered ChaosWarGreymon to kill us. I'd say he's pretty well aware of what he's doing." 

            "But only because we refused to leave. He did give us the chance to get lost." 

            "That doesn't change the fact that he was willing to get rid of us." 

            Kari broke into the discussion. "I think ChaosWarGreymon's actions reflect his master's values as well. Neither one seems to have taken steps to preserve the lives of enslaved Digimon. In fact, ChaosWarGreymon either enjoyed killing Digimon, or simply didn't care who got hurt." 

            TK nodded, remembering Ninjamon and all the other Digimon who'd lost their lives to ChaosWarGreymon's bloodlust. The thought of all those deaths because of the Emperor's arrogance caused his blood to surge like molten lava. He clenched his fist until it was pale white. He forced himself to relax with a deep breath. Fortunately, none of the others had seen his reaction. They'd all be talking about the new Emperor.

            TK called attention back to himself. "He also said that he didn't have a dark spore within him."

            Cody frowned, "Then he wasn't one of the children Oikawa captured?" 

            Yolei said, "Maybe he's just lying to throw us off his trail."

            Kari shook her head, "We don't even know where to start looking for him. Why would he need to confuse us right now?"

            Davis stood up. "Who cares where he came from? Let's just go back to the Digital World and stomp him. Now that we have our Armor Digimon, he can't take us by surprise." 

            "He sure did a good job of it today." DemiVeemon mentioned.

            Cody nodded, "We were lucky Oikawa was there to help us. If he hadn't brought back our digieggs, we wouldn't have stood a chance. This new Emperor was completely prepared for us." 

            "Indeed." Hawkmon nodded. "His manner of operation is very different to that of Ken's former reign. Even though he uses dark rings and control spires, the same rules do not apply. For example, destroying a spire does not mean the liberation of Digimon."

            Izzy turned to his computer. "I think I have an explanation for that. Take a look at this." He keyed up a map of the Digital World for everyone to see. The entire grid was colored black, representing that all sectors of the Digital World were under the Emperor's control. 

            "How could he conquer a whole world in one day?" asked Ken.

            Izzy replied, "I suspect the other Chaos Generals went around generating spires while ChaosWarGreymon kept the rest of you busy. They move with amazing speed. And look at this." He zoomed in on one sector and mapped out the control spires as deep blue dots. The spires were arranged in the hexagonal pattern that Davis and Ken had first noticed during their flight from ChaosWarGreymon. 

            "Why does the Emperor need that many spires?" Yolei voiced the group's singular thought.

            "I have a theory on that." Izzy typed in a few commands. Bright red spheres swelled out from each of the spire indicators. "These red circles represent the range of each control spire. As you can see, one spire is more than enough to cover a whole area; but watch: 

"I recorded the events of the day from the map's point of view. This is the time index when Davis and Ken first destroyed a control spire." One of the blue dots vanished and the red aura faded. Much of the sector remained red due to the other spires, but there was a large uninfluenced area. 

"For a moment, this small sector is free. But then…" The surrounding red circles stretched out and converged on the newly liberated area. Within a moment, the only free space left was a tiny dot where the original control spire had once stood.

"What happened?" Cody wondered.

"I think the other spires reacted to the destruction of the first one. As we all know, control spires are the source for a dark ring's power. Without spires, the ring loses its ability to enslave minds. Given what Davis and Ken told us, the Floramon were indeed freed from their captivity when Puttimon and Raidramon destroyed the control spire."

"So how come they became slaves again?" asked Davis.

"Because the surrounding spires compensated for the one that was destroyed. I think the Emperor put so many spires up because he knew you guys would be able to destroy more than a few of them. Apparently, these new spires are all receiving power from a singular source. That power is evenly distributed among all the spires. When one spire is destroyed, the power that was channeled to that spot is redirected to the nearest spires. This increases the spires' respective ranges and allows them to cover much more ground. They then recover the area that was lost from the demolition of the first spire."

TK frowned, "So, to liberate a whole sector, we'd have to destroy all the spires in that region, as well as in surrounding areas?" 

"That's right. This will slow our efforts tremendously. We can't simply knock over one spire and call it a day. We'll have to destroy at least ten times more spires than before." 

"Oh great." Davis slumped into a nearby chair. "I'm already spent." 

Izzy grinned. "It's not all bad news. Next time, you should be able to have your Digimon digivolve into Champions."

Ken looked puzzled. "But the spires block digivolutions." 

Izzy shook his head. "You have to keep in mind that there are different rules regarding this new Emperor. This is going to take a little more explaining." He keyed in more commands and a new readout appeared on screen. It displayed three lines, each one rising and falling at different lengths like waves in an ocean. The top line barely curved upward before sloping back down into a small dip, then rose up again. The second line rose much higher before falling, but paled in comparison to the third line at the bottom, which rose to the top of the graph before plummeting to the very bottom of the screen, then rose again. 

"These wavelengths represent the power we Digidestined generate when we help our Digimon digivolve. The wavelength at the top is amount of power used to create a Champion, the next one is for Ultimate, and this last one—the one that requires the most power—is for the creation of a Mega.

"When two opposing energies collide, they cancel each other out. So, the control spires generate an energy that is exactly opposite to our evolution power. The two energies cancel each other out, so we cannot help our Digimon digivolve. That's also why control spires cannot block armor digivolutions. The power used to create Armor Digimon is different from the power we use in normal evolutions." 

TK scratched his head, not sure he was following all of this. "I'm still not sure how we can reach Champion." 

Izzy said, "The Emperor said that there were three Chaos Generals, right? I've determined that these new spires are segmented into several sections; each one generating a wavelength that can block digivolutions. The top of the spire blocks evolutions to Champion, the midsection prevents digivolving to Ultimate, and the base blocks the creation of a Mega. Right after you destroyed ChaosWarGreymon, the top sections of all the spires ceased generating their energies. There's nothing to block a Champion Digivolutions now."

Cody nodded, "And if we can defeat the other two generals, then there's nothing to stop us from reaching the higher digivolution forms, right?"

Izzy smiled, proud of his pupil. "You got it. I think each General supplies the energy needed to block digivolutions. So, we gain more power with every General that we defeat."

Kari didn't sound encouraged by the news. "But if that's the case, then the Emperor has probably entrusted the higher level powers to even stronger Chaos Generals." 

"Yeah." TK felt his heart sink. "This new Emperor has thought things through pretty clearly." 

Yolei asked, "Think he planned to block DNA digivolutions? We might be able to fuse our Champions together." 

Izzy shrugged. "I haven't had a chance to analyze that theory. It's possible that DNA digivolving is unaffected by the spires, but the Emperor may have anticipated that strategy."

TK nodded, "He knew our digieggs were destroyed and didn't expect them to be recreated. I'm willing to bet he's planned ahead for merging Digimon." 

"Who cares how much he's planned?" Davis stood back up. "I bet he didn't even think we'd make it past Chaos General number one. We'll take down these other Generals too and then we'll beat this new Emperor once and for all." 

Cody pointed out, "But first we should rest up. We can launch a new offensive tomorrow."

Kari held up a hand, "Wait. Oikawa said the next phase of this war would be fought on Earth, remember?" 

Izzy stood up. "I'm afraid he's right. The Emperor's already making a move here on Earth. Look at this." He opened a window blind, eliciting a gasp from the younger Digidestined. 

Jutting up from the scarred ground in the middle of the soccer field was a control spire, its surface darker than the night sky. "These spires started appearing around noon today. They started appearing here in Japan, but have quickly spread across the globe. Last I heard they were appearing in the American Midwest."

"Haven't any of the other Digidestined tried to destroy them?" asked Yolei.

"They have, but none of them can digivolve, so it's not easy. A few spires have been destroyed, but they were replaced in less than an hour. Whoever is creating them works with amazing speed and precision. Countries are panicking because they remember the invasion of other Digimon a few years ago. Most Digidestined have stopped trying to attack the spires until they can determine who is creating them."

Ken frowned, "They haven't seen the culprit?"

"No. The spires seem to appear out of nowhere. There's no sign of their creator. It's probably one of the other Chaos Generals, working from the shadows. One other point of interest is that many countries are reporting unusual seismic activity around the spires." Izzy regarded the younger Digidestined. They were all tired and worn from the day's battle. TK could see the doubt on Izzy's face. He wasn't sure they were ready for this new information. "I'm sorry I dropped all of this on you guys so quickly, especially after the hard day you've had. But we don't have much time to rest up. We'll have to tackle this new threat as soon as possible. I want you all to go straight home and get some sleep. We'll meet here again tomorrow morning and outline a strategy." 

            The younger Digidestined bid Izzy goodnight and split off for the evening. TK walked down the street in silence with Patamon nestled atop his head, already fast asleep. His snoring was the only accompanying sound to TK's footsteps. The entire city seemed muffled in fear. No car horns, no crowds, no music; no sign of life whatsoever. The same choked silence that had been forced upon the Digital World was now cast on Earth. Could the Emperor really plan to rule both worlds in only a few days? 

            The Emperor… now there was a topic for reflection. TK still couldn't get over the news. There was someone else out there with a crest of Hope. And he was using it to control Digimon. The very thought turned TK's face blood red. How could someone use the crest of Hope for such a purpose? Wasn't the crest meant to sustain the Digital World in times of darkness? That was what Azulongmon had told them. The notion that his crest was a tool for slavery was insulting. 

            TK turned away from his home and headed towards the park. He couldn't sleep with such thoughts racing through his mind; he needed to blow off some steam. Giving the current state of unease in the city, he was sure that most muggers and other criminals were staying locked indoors, so there'd be no trouble in the park. Besides, Patamon could blow them away with one Boom Bubble. 

            The night's air carried the scent of the leaves, and a soft rustling helped calm TK's heart. This was just too much to absorb all at once. New Emperor, new tactics, new rules, new challenges. Even after the Digidestined had become so powerful, even after their numbers had increased to the size of a small nation, and even after they'd achieved levels of evolution once thought to be a dream, it seemed absurd that one man—a boy even—could have them at such a disadvantage. _Maybe we're not as strong as we think. Or maybe he's stronger than all of us put together. Could the crest of Hope give a man such power? _

            TK shook his head. The crest had always been a source of strength for TK, but it never energized Digimon the same way Kari's crest of Light did. He'd only used its power to help Angemon digivolve to MagnaAngemon, and the digiegg of Hope had given birth to Pegasusmon. It had never been a power source for anything larger. Maybe it was the powers of darkness that fueled this new enemy. But that just led back to the same thought: _why does this new Emperor have the crest of HOPE? _

            TK took another breath to calm himself. An evil ruler with a crest wasn't anything new. Ken's crest of Kindness hadn't saved him from becoming the original Digimon Emperor. But that crest hadn't manifested its power until the Emperor's fall. 

            Maybe the crest had been corrupted, just as Tai's crest of Courage had been when he forced Agumon to digivolve to SkullGreymon. "Courage" carried very positive connotations in TK's mind, but it had been used to create something evil. Maybe every crest had a flipside; a dark power that could be used to hurt others.

            Was it possible that this new Emperor was a mirror for TK? Was he capable of carrying out the same level of cruelty and force because of his crest? _Am I capable of the Emperor's work? NO. That wasn't possible. This new Emperor was nothing like him, crest or no crest. He could never be as evil._

            But what made the Emperor evil? Was he being controlled or influenced? He said he wasn't, but that didn't carry much weight. Anyone who'd been brainwashed or manipulated said that he or she was acting of free will, even if that wasn't true. Oikawa had appeared to be acting on his own volition, but that was only because Myotismon had been so adept at hiding. Maybe the Emperor was a victim of slavery as well. That prospect made his existence a little more tolerable. 

            "TK?" Kari approached from behind with a sleeping Gatomon in her arms. TK frowned because Kari's home was in the opposite direction of his own. 

            "What brings you out here?"

            "I wanted to talk to you." She fell into step beside him. "You didn't tell Izzy about that new power that Oikawa gave you." 

            "Oh, yeah…" TK looked at his D3, which did not appear to possess any new power at all. "I guess I forgot to mention it after Izzy outlined all those facts about the new Emperor. I think he went overboard." 

            Kari giggled, "Izzy's never been one to hold back when it comes to new info. Still, that power source might be an important part of defeating the Emperor. You should let Izzy take a look at it." 

            TK yawned, "I will. Tomorrow… What do you think it is anyway? A digicore?" 

            "You mean like Azulongmon's? Maybe you can make Shakkouamon digivolve, just like Paildramon did." 

            "Can you imagine what Shakouamon would look like as a Mega?" TK grinned. 

            Kari laughed, "The most powerful tea kettle in the world!" 

            "Hey," Patamon mumbled from atop TK's head. "Don't diss the DNA form…" he returned to a hushed snoring. 

            Kari smiled, "Well, if you don't want to see it, you could always let me and Yolei use it on Sylphimon." 

            "We don't even have our DNA Digimon back yet and you're already pinning for a Mega?" 

            "Hey, a girl can dream." They laughed. It felt good to talk to Kari like this. Out of all the team, TK was most comfortable speaking with her. Davis was a good friend, but they both enjoyed competing with one another. Relaxed moments like this were an oddity. Cody—although TK's DNA digivolution partner—was far too serious for a joke or two. Yolei was fun, but TK just didn't relate to her as much as he did with Kari, and all of the older Digidestined were just that: too old for him to fully relate. For the first time that day, TK felt a certain peace and relaxation. Walking with Kari made him feel better, and calmed his doubts.

            "Are you okay?" Kari asked.

            "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" 

            "That was a large bombshell Oikawa dropped on us… About the new Emperor having the crest of Hope."

            "Naw… It's nothing big." He didn't want to spoil the evening or force extra concern upon Kari.

            "Don't lie." Kari's voice became dead serious. "I know how you react to people who use the power of darkness, and none of them had the same crest as you. This is hurting you, TK, I can see it." 

            TK shrugged. "There's nothing I can do about it right now. When we confront this new Emperor, I'll find out why he was given the crest of Hope. Until then, worrying is pointless." 

            "But you're worrying nonetheless." The calm of the evening was gone. TK was beginning to feel uncomfortable with how well Kari could read him. There was vulnerability in familiarity. 

            "Okay… maybe I am. But…" A small rustling caught TK's attention. Behind a bush, he saw the tapered end of a black cloth wave at him and disappear into the park.

            "TK?" Kari sounded worried.

            "Wait here." TK took two steps, then broke off in a run.

"TK!" Kari called behind him, but he quickly outran her voice. He dodged trees and ducked under branches while chasing a figure he wasn't sure he saw or imagined. He sprinted with even bit of strength in his legs. His lungs burned while he pushed himself to go farther, causing Patamon to fall off his head in the process. The startled Rookie gave a small cry of protest and used his wings to prevent a fall. TK was too intent on his prey to stop and turn back. The black figure was the only thing he saw. 

            TK didn't know how he was able to track through the park. He only knew that he felt where his opponent lay. He could sense his quarry. _Is there a bond between our two crests?_

            The trail ended in a small grove of tress. There was no one there. No footprints, no broken branches or twigs; no sign anyone had passed through before TK. And yet he felt, he _knew_, that the person he was looking for was here. 

            "Lovely night for a stroll through the park, especially with such beautiful company." A voice from the trees chuckled. TK glanced up and saw the Digimon Emperor's eye grinning back at him through that black mask. "How wonderful to see you again." 

            "Get down here." TK demanded. 

            "So you can give me the beating I so richly deserve? I think not, sir knight." 

            "Don't call me that." 

            "Why not? Aren't you the knight in shinning armor with an angel at your side who defends the Digital World? That's certainly the image _I see. Of course, that's just on the surface, isn't it?"_

            "What are you getting at?" 

            The Emperor snickered and leaped down, landing effortlessly and standing in a relaxed posture that contrasted TK's braced fighting stance. "You may be the Digital World's savior, and you may have an Angemon for a partner, but you know and I know that there's a Devimon inside you." TK huffed. 

"Don't deny it. I saw it in you the first day we met. I see it in you now. All that anger is boiling inside you like a fireball waiting to be launched at its target. You must hate me so much. I find it rather amusing that such a renowned 'nice guy' can have so much anger for a person he only just met."

"How can someone like you have the crest of Hope?"

"Ah, my secret's out." The Emperor shrugged. "Can't a villain have hopes as well? I hope that my plans succeed and you do not defeat me. Are my hopes any less valid than your own?"

"My hopes are a lot better than yours." 

"Oh? What do you hope for? Protection of the Digital World? Preservation of order and peace?"

"And I hope I defeat you."

"AH! That's it! You don't care about the Digital World at all, do you? That's not the real reason you're fighting. You want to defeat me. You're fighting out of a personal grudge!"

"You're wrong."

"Am I? This is a trend I'm starting to notice inside you. I'm using the powers of darkness to rule, and you want to defeat me because of it. Hardly the attitude for a knight." 

"I think people would let that slide as long as you were defeated." 

"And I think people will forgive a little conquest in the interest of peace. So we're either both right, or both selfish." 

TK growled, "I'm sick of these mind games you're playing! Tell me who you are right now and let's finish this!"  
            "That wouldn't be much fun. I didn't go to the trouble of keeping this costume on just so I could tell you who I am. You'll have to try harder than that."

"Why are you so interested in me?"

"I told you already. There's a darkness inside you. I saw it when you fought ChaosWarGreymon. You hated him for his slaughter of innocent Digimon. You almost ordered your partner to attack without concern for his survival. Out of all the Digidestined, you're the one with the most delicious hidden side." 

"Hidden side?"

"Yes. Davis wears his heart on his sleeve and is quite boring; I prefer a little mystery. Yolei's hidden side is either Attila the Hun or some frail princess. She switches back and forth so often that I can't tell which is the real her. Cody's just a sad little boy underneath all that seriousness. And Kari… well…" 

"TK? TK!!" Kari wandered down the path with Gatomon and Patamon in tow. She didn't see TK and the Emperor hidden by the night and trees.

"She's got a hidden side as well, but it's not nearly as volatile as you. But she is interesting just the same."

TK felt his blood alternate between ice cold and flaming red. "Leave her alone." 

"I can't. She's almost as fun as you. She tries so hard, but underneath all that effort she's terrified of failing. She can't handle all the pressure and danger that comes with being a Digidestined. She's too afraid to fail. Fear is such a wonderful toy. Terrifying a person is almost as much fun as enraging someone else."

"Stay away from her!" TK felt his face go pure red. He felt his muscles begging him to let one punch fly. To attack this monster with everything he had. But there had to be more to this. This could be a trap…

"That's it!" The Emperor clapped. "That's the look I so enjoy! You do have temper. I knew you were the most fun of the group." He regarded Kari, who'd yet to even notice them. "But she's fun too. And she seems to have a lot of sway over you." He snapped his fingers. "I know! I'll kill two Digidestined with one stone. I'll anger you by terrifying her. And I have just the Digimon to do it!" 

A loud rumble shook the ground, causing TK to stumble in place. The Emperor was airborne again, jumping and impossibly high distance to his former perch atop the tree. "I am impressed at how you defeated ChaosWarGreymon with only six Armor Digimon, but how will you fare against my next Chaos General. He's almost twice as powerful as that good-for-nothing hunter!" 

A large blade parted the ground beside TK. He jumped back as a mound of earth rose up and began to slide away from the emerging armored form. Two blood red wings stretched out and shook the now ruined park's dirt off. Four massive legs, each sheathed in sharp-angled armor supported an equally protected body, with a tail swaying back and forth, knocking down some of the few remaining trees. The creature's muscles rippled under dark gray scales, with a stripe of white running under its belly and neck. Its head was encased in armor colored the same deep crimson as the beast's wings. It was hard to miss the rows of sharp teeth inside its mouth. 

At the top of the monster's body, TK spotted twin cannons nestled between the wings. The dragon's form was maddeningly familiar, yet with a much crueler, sharper look to it; just like ChaosWarGreymon. 

The Emperor now stood atop his beast. "Allow me to introduce your new opponent: ChaosImperialdramon!" 

The Chaos General roared, forcing TK to cover his ears and open his mouth as wide as he could to avoid going deaf. He looked around frantically, trying to spot Kari and their Digimon. He found them lying sprawled on the ground; taken unawares by ChaosImperialdramon's sudden appearance. 

TK dashed towards them. "Where are you going?" demanded the Emperor. "The fun is just starting!" 

"Kari!" TK skidded to a halt beside her. "Are you all right?" 

"What's going on?" Kari looked from TK to ChaosImperialdramon. "What is that thing?" 

"I'll explain later. We have to go!" 

"I won't let you leave!" The Emperor shouted from ChaosImperialdramon's head. "But I think I'll spare your Digimon." The dark dragon beat its wings once, causing a whirlwind to sweep across the landscape. TK dug his feet and hand into the ground while holding on to Kari with his free hand. Somehow, they managed to stay rooted in one spot, although the wind nearly blew them away. Patamon and Gatomon, with their much smaller bodies and weight, were not so fortunate. With a helpless cry, the two Digimon flew off into the night, carried away by the gust of the dragon's wings.

"GATOMON!" Kari reached for her partner even while struggling to maintain her grip on TK.

"It's too late for them!" cried the Emperor. "You two should start worrying about yourselves! Now, let's make things really interesting. It's time for another hunt. This time, you'll have to survive the labyrinth without a Digimon to protect you." He laughed merrily. 

The ground under TK, which had held so firm against the wind, now began to rise up against him. Both TK and Kari screamed as one of ChaosImperialdramon's claws ripped up from the soil and flung them into the air. TK half expected ChaosImperialdramon to finish them off, but instead the Digimon stepped back, revealing a massive, seemingly bottomless hole in the ground; a hole that they were falling into. 

TK held tightly to Kari even as they fell. For a moment he was back on Spiral Mountain, being chased by Piedmon and falling to certain death alongside Kari. But this time there'd be no rescue; no MagnaAngemon to help them. There was only the darkness below them. And into the darkness they fell. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Author's Note: I realize this chapter was more conversation than action, but that'll change soon. In any case, it's time I got to work on Chapter 7. We'll see just how fast I am this time. 

            I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and wish you all well. Until next time. 


	7. Labyrinth

 Darkness Reborn

Chapter 7: Labyrinth

by Silver 

*Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Digimon's creatures, characters or story. ChaosImperialdramon is my own creation, but was inspired by Digimon World 3.*

            Author's Note: I guess I should start with the usual: I'm sorry. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I always say I'll try to get the next one out soon, and I don't.

            It's hard to stay inspired with this fic. A lot of the Digimon fandom is dying out, and there's nothing that inspires new creativity within me. However, I am still focused enough to finish this fic, even if my heart isn't as in it as I'd like. 

            As always, I'd appreciate reviews and constructive criticism. Feedback is a good way to help writers stay on task. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Most biologists would say that the human mouth cannot exceed a certain size without dislocating the jaw. Davis' yawn would have proven them wrong. He opened his mouth so wide that DemiVeemon was afraid he'd be eaten by his partner. Of course, the tiny Digimon himself had quite a maw as well. He was even more tired than Davis, having fought ChaosWarGreymon. "I'm so sleepy I'm barely even hungry." 

            "How can someone as tiny as you get so hungry? You should be full after one meat bun." 

            "Can I help it if I'm a growing 'mon?"

            "After all you eat, you should be bigger than Tokyo Tower."

            "I am, when I'm Imperialdramon."

            "That's not the same thing!" Davis grinned. Little spouts with his Digimon helped take his mind off all the stuff that had happened that morning. Adventure was one of his greatest pleasures in life, but this time the adventure had been too deadly. Sure, he'd faced death plenty of times before with Kimeramon, BlackWarGreymon, and MaloMyotismon. But in those cases he'd had a degree of control, if only a small one. Veemon had always had a digivolution to fall back on, a power to draw out. The fight with ChaosWarGreymon had been different. There were no powers, no digivolutions. It'd been five Rookies and a Champion against the Digital World. Davis had never felt so powerless. Not being able to put up even the lamest of fights weighed on him more than the prospect of dying. If he ever had to lose a fight and die, he planned to go down swinging. ChaosWarGreymon wouldn't have let him get so much as a punch in. 

            Even more troubling was that Davis hadn't felt any more secure when his digieggs reappeared. He had felt stronger by helping his partner armor digivolve, but by then ChaosWarGreymon had already been in control. He had the Digidestined separated and on the run. What good was having the power to fight back when his friends might already be dead? Kari, Ken, Yolei, Cody, TK, they all could have been killed while he was busy running around looking for nothing. 

            Cody was right; it had been luck that Oikawa was there for them when they needed help. If not for him and Datirimon, Davis wouldn't be alive long enough to brood over this own helplessness. Helplessness was worse than death in some ways. If he died, he wouldn't have to see how weak he could be. He wouldn't be around to worry about it. But helplessness mocked him. It showed him a situation he couldn't affect, couldn't change. Helplessness made him the world's puppet, and he resented that more than anything else. 

            He pasted another control spire, the third one so far. Now that feeling of helplessness was trying to follow him home. It was trying to strip him of all his security, and his ability to fight back. If he couldn't get around the barriers to his full power, and the power of his partner, then he'd be useless. 

            All these feelings could be traced back to one source: the Digimon Emperor. He'd made Davis helpless, and that wasn't something Davis could easily forgive. As the former Emperor, Ken had reduced Davis to a prisoner on a few occasions in the past, but Davis had always found a way to break free and come back swinging. He'd taken control of the situation. This new Emperor didn't have the guts for a face-to-face fight. In fact, the only person who'd met him was TK. If Davis ever saw that freak, he'd pound his face in.

            He huffed, "I don't see why everyone's so worked up about finding out who this new Emperor guy is."

            DemiVeemon replied, "They wanna know what's driving him. We might not have to fight him. It's like how we tried to beat Ken by finding him on Earth where he had no power."

            "Yeah, but look where that got us. We still had to fight him, and we couldn't save him until we beat him up. Even TK, 'Mr. Nice Guy,' beat the stuffing outta him in that brawl. We shouldn't worry about what's driving this new guy. Let's just beat him and sort the rest out later."

            "How are we supposed to find him?"

            Davis rolled his eyes as if it were a silly question. "He'll find us, right?"

            DemiVeemon yawned again. "I hope he doesn't find us before lunch tomorrow." 

            Davis never had the chance to reply. His retort turned into a startled yelp as the ground shook beneath him. He looked back towards the origin of the shockwave. Two crimson wings stood out against the night sky, eclipsing the control spires that dotted the city landscape. 

            Something about those wings made him cold inside. ChaosWarGreymon had been a shock, but no more than BlackWarGreymon. A dark version of WarGreymon wasn't anything new, but those wings were too familiar. He'd seen them before, saving him from a crumbling building, flying him across the globe in one night, and again guarding him from death at the hands of Daemon's flames. 

            The Emperor really liked to add salt to a wound. Making Davis helpless was insulting, but copying his partner was a declaration of war! No way he'd stand for a dark Imperialdramon. 

            But Davis didn't have time to let his rage fester and grow, because he realized just where those wings were rising up. That park was near TK's home. _TK!_ Davis sprinted towards the battlefield, not sure what he'd find or how he'd fight, but neither question registered fully. All he cared about was that his friend was in trouble. 

            DemiVeemon, however, was too tired to think of combat. "Wait!" he pointed. "Bed's back that way!" 

            "You can sleep later!" Davis panted between breathes. "Just rest up to digivolve. We're gonna see if you really can reach Champion now!" 

*          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Everything hurt, which was a good sign. If TK felt pain, then he wasn't dead. 

            He sat upright, wincing all the way while dirt and dust cascaded off his body. He was filthy, with cuts and bruises all over his body. And yet, he was alive. Glancing up, he could only see a tiny patch of the night's sky. The whole from which he'd fallen was high above, so much so that no human could ever hope to fall from it and live. Yet here he was, battered and bruised and covered in soil and debris, but still breathing. 

            He glanced around and found that most of his vision failed him. The starlight from the hole did not fully illuminate his surroundings. One patch of moonlight, however, clearly showed his shattered d-terminal. Fortunately, his D3 had survived the fall. 

            He knew that Patamon and Gatomon had been blown away by ChaosImperialdramon's mighty gust of wind, and so they could not have been the ones to save him. Had someone else intervened? The only person who could have saved him would be… the Emperor? 

That was impossible. There was no way the Emperor would save him. He wanted TK dead, didn't he? _I'll make you by terrifying her. Maybe the Emperor was just play a game with him and… "Kari?" TK checked around frantically, trying to find his friend among the ruins. He spotted her lying half-covered under the debris. She was as battered as he, with a small trickle of blood coming down her forehead. For a moment he feared her skull had been crushed, just as her own d-terminal was now. TK scrambled over and checked her over. It wasn't until he saw she was breathing that he allowed himself to do the same. _

            TK produced a clean handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to Kari's forehead to stop the bleeding. She had to be okay, she just had to. Looking down at her, wounded and unconscious, the Emperor's plan began to succeed. TK was angry. Angry at the Emperor. Angrier than he'd ever been in his entire life. If Kari was maimed or disabled in any way by tonight's attack, then the Emperor would pay with his life. TK had never been surer of anything before. 

            As if responding to his anger, Kari moaned and opened her eyes. "T… TK?" 

            TK exhaled and asked, "How are you feeling?"

            "Lousy. But I think I'll be okay. Help me out of this stuff." TK dug out some of the dirt and helped Kari to her feat. "OW!" Kari winced and sunk back to her knees. "My ankle!"

            TK gently removed her shoe and checked her leg. The swollen ankle pulsed a sickly red. Most likely a sprain, but it could be broken. There was no way she could walk with this wound. "Great. Now what do we do?" A quick check of the small cavern they'd fallen into showed no way to climb out. The walls were almost vertical, and the soil too damp to provide an adequate foothold. There was no way to call for help besides shouting, and that might attract the wrong attention. Perhaps it would be best to sit and wait for a rescue crew. Someone must have called for help by now.

_            GGGGGGRRROOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRR!_

Both TK and Kari jumped as a feral cry came from the darkness. ChaosImperialdramon was down here, lurking somewhere close by. Staying in one place would be suicide. Without wasting time to think or consult, TK bent down and instructed Kari to climb on his back. She did so, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting him loop his arms under her legs. He piggybacked her in the opposite direction of where the roar had come. 

            Whatever lurked in the darkness, it couldn't be worse than letting the Chaos General find them. At least, that's what TK hoped. 

*          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored…" The echo of his words and the splashing water beneath his claws were the way to break the silence of the underworld. 

            Below the city, inside the labyrinth of his own creation, ChaosImperialdramon had never felt so imprisoned. The dug out corridors, although big enough to comfortably admit his large form, still pressed in on him. They denied him his beautiful, open skies and the caress of the wind against his wings. Why had the Emperor built him to fly if he was to spend all his time underground?

            "Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored…" This new assignment reeked. "Track these two Digidestined. Hunt them through the underground and do not allow them to escape." The Emperor's mental commands still rung clear. Trouble was, ChaosImperialdramon didn't like this hunting nonsense. Where was the fun in trudging through dirt, grime, and waste hunting for two puny humans?

            His spirit longed to fly through the night sky; admiring the sparkling lights of the city below. And then blow them up. 

            This hunt was a task for ChaosWarGreymon. That weakling always had an obsession with hunting. He loved to waste his time doing this. In the end, it was that obsession that had killed him. 

            "Bored. Bored. BORED!" He took out his frustration on a nearby wall by smashing his claws against it. For a moment, he paused and admired the wall part. The shards of dirt danced in front of him in an array of brilliance. Their dung-colored brown shined before his eyes as they fell to the ground in a pile of dust. It was a beautiful sight that offset the confining pressure from the tunnels. 

            He sniffed the air, and wished he hadn't. This area had been carved out of the humans' sewers, and so much of their waste had seeped into the lower levels. It stank, and it covered up the human's scent. This would be harder, and take longer than ChaosImperialdramon would prefer. 

            When this was over, and the two Digidestined vanished in a flower blossom of fire, he'd take to the air again and circle the globe a few times to celebrate. Maybe he'd fire a few random shots and see what he'd hit. That would be lovely. 

            But for now he trudged on, not caring who heard him. "Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. Bored…" 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "A Sewer. Why did it have to be _another sewer?" TK tried not to inhale as he spoke._

            Kari giggled, then gagged on the smell. After exiting the cavern, they'd step into an area where the ceiling had been smashed in, revealing a sewer above. The fêted liquid that flowed under the city rained down in small, sick-green waterfalls; and the stench was overpowering. "We should be used to places like this by now."

            "Yeah. How many have we been in so far?"

            "Let's see…" Kari pondered for a moment. "I've been in at least two: the ones underneath Machinedramon's city and the Gekomon village. Neither one stank as much as this does though."

            "Yeah? I got you beat then. I've been in several sewers before this one: the sewers underneath the File Island factory, and then the two you mentioned."

            "That's not something to be proud of." 

            "Hey, I showered after each sewer. I stayed clean." 

            "What about right now?"

            TK didn't want to comment on all the dirt and waste that had found its way onto him. Both he and Kari smelled of a million unknown mixtures and chemicals. He'd be happy if he didn't glow green after all this was over. It didn't help that his arms and back were aching from carry Kari. She was heavier than she looked. 

            "You think normal people ever actually see the inside of a sewer?"

            "Probably not. One of the great privileges of being a Digidestined: you get to see rare sights. Too bad this has to be one of them." 

            "Yeah… TK, I'm sorry."

            "For what?"   
            "It's just…" Kari was silent for a long moment. "It's just that… Here we are in a sewer for at least the third time in our lives, and you're still having to watch out for me."

            TK frowned, "I don't follow you."

            "When we were under Machinedramon's city, I was unconscious with a fever. You stayed with me and protected me until I was strong enough to move on my own again. Then, when we were under the Gekomon Village, you still protected me when we fought ShogunGekomon." 

            "I remember you and Nefertimon holding your own in that second fight. I didn't have to look out for you at all."

            "But you did. Through that whole fight, I stayed close to you and followed your lead. Davis, Cody, and Yolei were all able to strike out on their own and fight independently. I was the only one who couldn't." 

            TK shook his head. "We all came together to beat ShogunGekomon. If it hadn't been for the others, we wouldn't have beaten him." 

            "But still…" TK could feel Kari's heartbeat throughout his whole body. "I'm always relying on someone else to help me. You even had to save me from ChaosWarGreymon. My first solo mission in the Digital World, and I got caught."

            "You were caught off-guard, just like the rest of us. Anyone of us could have been in the same position. It's not your fault."

            Kari didn't appear to hear him. "I've lost track of how many times someone else has had to come to my rescue. Tai, Davis, you, everyone's always rushing to save helpless little Kari." 

            "Stop it!" TK halted his march. "You have to stop talking about yourself like that. Kari, don't you know why Tai, Davis, and I are so willing to help you? Or why everyone else is ready to come to your aid?"

            "No…" 

            "It's because we like you. You make everyone around you feel good. You always see the best in people and draw it out within them. You were the one who redeemed Gatomon and got her to leave Myotismon's command, remember? And you gave hope to a whole city full of Numemon."

            "And then got them all killed."

"That was Machinedramon's fault, not yours. You gave them something they could fight for, even if it meant death. And they're not the only ones. Davis might not have come to the Digital World if not for you; and you helped convince a lot of other Digidestined to help us too. Remember how quickly the Poi brothers stopped attacking Digimon began to follow your lead? People like you for who you are, and that's why we're eager to help you. You're not weak; it's just that your strength lies in something other than fighting. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

            "But when people are counting on me to save them…"

            "You're always there for us when we need everyone working together. We couldn't have defeated Myotismon, the Dark Masters, Apocalymon, or Daemon without your help. You're a part of the team. You always lend your strength to us… That's why everyone wants to protect you. We know you'd do the same for us."

            Kari was silent for a long time. After fully digesting TK's words, she simply said, "Thank you."

            "Anytime." The tender moment ended when TK stepped in something he didn't want to identify and held back a curse. This wasn't the kind of place he wanted to be in with so many open cuts and bruises. Too easy to get an infection. If only there were a way out. They'd seen a few exits, but they'd all been too high to climb out. The only way out of this maze seemed to be via flight. Too bad Patamon wasn't here. Angemon could get them out in no time. 

            Kari's yawn snapped him out of his brooding. Her breath was hot against the back of his neck, even though she turned her head. TK felt the blood rise to his face. "You… um, you tired?"

            "Yeah." Kari rested her head against his shoulder, making him blush even more furiously. "It's funny. Even though we're down here, with no sign of a way out and something growling behind us, I'm not scared."

            "Funny. From what you just described, I am." 

            "Sorry… It's just that I feel really safe with you around. I guess you help me be brave. That pep talk helped a lot too." 

            "I'm glad." TK smiled, then stopped.

            Unlike Kari's words, the sight up ahead did not brighten TK's mood. The cavern split into two huge tunnels, each one leading into darkness. TK hesitated, not sure which one to take. "We've hit a fork in the road."

            Kari yawned again, slumping even more against TK's back. Healing from her injuries was taking a great deal of her strength. Judging from the strong heart beating against his back, her wound's weren't life-threatening, yet. The weight on his back was another story. He couldn't keep carrying her like this. He needed a break. 

            "Kari?"

            "Yes?"

            "I need to set you down for a minute." He settled her onto a nearby rock before she could protest. Kari didn't offer a word of complaint.

            "Sorry to make you carry me everywhere."

            "It's okay. I just need to rest."

            "So, which fork should we take?"

            "Good question… I don't know. One way could lead us to an exit, and the other might just lead back the way we came or to a dead end. I don't like the idea of becoming lost."

            "We're already lost." 

            TK sighed. "Yeah… but I don't want to become even more lost."

            "Then I have an idea." Kari pulled out her D3. The screen was cracked, but it was still working. A green and pink set of dots pulsed through the crack, signifying TK and Kari, respectively. Given their limited range in the human world, TK doubted the others would be able to locate them very easily. Kari explained, "You scout ahead for a few minutes and see if one path leads in a good direction. If you get lost, you can guide yourself back using the D3."

            TK frowned, "What about you?"

            "I can take a nap so I won't weigh you down as much. And you can give your arms a rest."

            "I mean, what happens if that thing back there… ChaosImperialdramon, finds you?"

            "We haven't heard from him in a while. I think he might be as lost as we are. Besides, this place is big and there are small niches where I can hide. If ChaosImperaildramon was as good a tracker as ChaosWarGreymon, he'd have found us already."

            "Or he could just be playing with us."

            "Then how come he hasn't tormented us yet? ChaosWarGreymon made a few appearances to scare us before moving in for the kill. This Chaos General hasn't even lifted a finger. I think he's looking for us, but hasn't picked up on our trail. Besides, you won't be gone that long, right?"

            TK wanted to protest and say he wasn't leaving, but he knew he could cover more ground without Kari on his back. And having a guide to lead him back in case he got lost sounded like a good idea. 

            "… Okay. But I won't take more than ten minutes. I'm just going to check one path." 

            "Okay. I'm going to get some sleep so I can take some of the weight off your back."

            TK nodded, "Sounds good. I'll be back." He took off down the path to the right. His footsteps splashed and echoed down the moist tunnel as he continued on as fast as he could. Although he could move faster on his own, he loathed the idea of leaving Kari behind. 

            But how could he have said no? She'd been so forceful, so direct. She was sure she was right and would not accept any argument from him. Come to think of it, she didn't usually act that way around anyone else. TK allowed himself a small smile to celebrate how direct Kari was willing to be with him. 

            He kept checking his D3 for the next ten minutes, making sure that Kari was still in range. Just as her indicator was at the edge of his screen, he emerged out of the tunnel into another huge chamber. Its size was almost daunting, but then TK remembered how big ChaosImperialdramon had appeared to be. Moving underground was the only way for such a massive creature to stay hidden. TK had to admit that the Chaos General had a skill for excavation. The city had a labyrinth running underneath it, yet it did not fall in upon itself. ChaosImperialdramon had somehow carved out his passageways without weakening the city's support. Still, there was a large amount of collateral damage.  This chamber featured a massive hole overhead and chunks of broken concrete strewn around. Taking in his surroundings, TK saw broken pens, a shattered copy machine, and countless desks and chairs. There should have been an office building above his head instead of the sky. TK could at least take comfort in the fact that there no body parts among the debris. Either the workers and security had evacuated in time, or the building had been deserted when it collapsed. 

But that didn't dismiss the fact that people's lives where in danger because of the Emperor and ChaosImperialdramon. The screams of all the Digimon killed by ChaosWarGreymon still bled freshly in TK's ears. He still had a vivid image of the smoke and fire covering the Digital World and signaling the deaths of countless Digimon. 

In all his time as a Digidestined, he'd seen too many Digimon killed by a conqueror in service to the powers of darkness. The very memory made him sick. But he'd never seen a human killed at the hands of a Digimon. Oikawa had been the closest thing to a victim, but that was still different than death. No human had ever fallen at the hands of a Digimon, and TK intended to keep it that way. But this new string of attacks was beyond containment. He couldn't even catch up to ChaosImperialdramon, let alone fight him. How could he protect people if he could not catch the source of danger?

_"Take control! Use your power and knowledge of the Digital World to take leadership of the world and strengthen its defenses."_ The Emperor's criticism hit as hard as any blow to the head. TK staggered slightly and felt dizzy as the memory came back. Could the Emperor be right? In order to fully protect others, would he have to rule over them? Should he have become a king instead of a knight?

No. That couldn't be. Conquering in the name of peace was a contradiction and a lie. If he forced his protection on others, then it'd become a different form of enslavement. He couldn't agree to that.

Yet he couldn't protect either world the way he acted now. He was tired, isolated, scared, and dizzy. So dizzy in fact that he had to sit down on a piece of rubble. Something was very wrong with this cavern. He shook his head and glanced around to clear his mind. 

It occurred to TK that the cavern was indeed different than any other he'd been in so far. This one had gradual slopes that appeared to be firmer than others. In fact, the sides looked solid enough for a person to climb on. Although the tunnel leading in had been damp, this area was relatively dry. He might be able to climb out! TK's exhilaration caused him to stand upright. Then his stomach demanded that he sit back down. 

Something was very wrong here. He felt nauseous, and the room began to spin slightly. Was there a gas leak or a chemical spill nearby? TK didn't smell anything, but some gases were odorless. He staggered to his feet and lurched for the tunnel. He had to get out of here before he passed out. He had to check on Kari, make sure she was safe. He couldn't lose now, not before he beat the Emperor. He couldn't… he couldn't…

He couldn't keep going. The tunnel's entrance blurred before him and transformed into the ground, rising to meet him. TK didn't even feel the impact as he lost touch with the world. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

"Bored. Bored. Bored. Boooooooreeed." His tone hadn't changed in the last hour, and the constant chanting was the only thing that broke up the monotony of the dark, constraining caves. If he kept this up, ChaosImperialdramon feared he'd become a rambling lunatic, doomed to wander this maze forever while chanting the same curse. 

"Speak louder. I don't think they can hear you in America." ChaosImperialdramon nearly fired a blast at the voice coming from the tunnel before he recognized it.

"My Emperor!" He hunkered down as best as he could. He dared not gaze his master in the eyes after being caught absent-minded. "Forgive my loudness. I-"

"I don't care what your reasons are. You are not taking this task seriously."

"I cannot help but be confused, sire. You had me catch the two humans, then give them time to flee. If you wish them dead, why not simply let them fall to their doom?"

The Emperor sighed. "Because, my foolish general, I don't want them dead yet. I want them scared, confused, isolated. I want you to keep them in a state of torment. Instead, I find you lounging about, not lifting a claw to harm either of them. The way you complain, it's a wonder they don't simply move away from the sound of your whimpering!" ChaosImperialdramon winced at the berating, but held his tongue. More excuses would only anger the Emperor further. 

He risked a glance up to see where the Emperor was standing. A shadow crept along the walls, but its source lay behind a curve in the corridor. ChaosImperialdramon was surprised he hadn't smelled the Emperor coming, but he had not been focused at the time either. 

"I'd keep my eyes down if I were you. One more disappointment and I'll remove your spiral."

"No! I'm sorry, sir. Please don't!" 

"Don't be such a baby. You're supposed to be threatening!" 

"I-I am… but I am a true threat in the skies, not underground. Sir, why did you give me wings to fly if I am to spend my time under the earth?" 

"You are here because I told you to come down here. That is all you need to know. You exist to serve me, not test your wings out. Now, I have a new order for you. Your laziness has tarnished my reputation. What good is being a ruler if your enforcers will not work for you? Now I am forced to take larger measures. I want you to find the girl Digidestined, and kill her. And be sure to do it right in front of her male companion."

"And then kill him!" 

"No. Let him live, but make sure you splash him with some of the girl's blood. That should get the message across." 

"Yes, sir. I will find them right away." 

"See that you do." The shadow receded back into the passage. ChaosImperialdramon counted to twenty before rising from his prone position and marching down the tunnel. No longer bored, no longer chanting, he focused his every sense on finding his targets. Failure to do so meant death. He at least took some satisfaction in the thought at least one life would end this night. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Cody and Yolei were already out of breath by the time they reached the site where those two blood-red wings had appeared. At first, they'd thought that Davis and Ken had somehow summoned Imperialdramon, until Ken came running up to see what the commotion was. The three of them had rushed with all speed to the now demolished park. Trees and bushes lay uprooted and dying on the chaotically smashed soil, and a huge hole engulfed most of the area. Black clouds hung overhead, illuminated by the city's lights and promising to add a shower to the already gloomy scenery. 

 Davis was already waiting for them. "'Bout time you got here!" 

            Yolei huffed, "Excuse us for not breaking the sound barrier!"

            Cody diverted the argument. "Are Kari and TK on the way?"

            "I dunno. This park is right near where TM lives. I thought he'd be here before us." 

            Ken frowned, "I don't like this. Something doesn't feel right…"

            "H-hey." A small mound of dirt rustled beside them and two orange winds limped up. One wing wiggled and shrank back down, unable to reach its full height. A white tail with a spiral of purple running its length appeared from another clump of dirt. 

            "Patamon!" Armadillomon quickly dug his friend out while Hawkmon went to assist Gatomon. "What happened to ya?" 

            "T-the Chaos General." 

            "Already?" Yolei rolled her eyes. "The Emperor sure doesn't waste time." 

            Gatomon shook the dirt out of her fur. "He's a dark version of Imeprialdramon, and just as big." 

            Wormmon sighed. "Is nothing sacred?" 

            Davis shoved past everyone and leaned in at the two recovering Digimon. "Where are TK and Kari?" 

            "They fell."

            "Fell where? Why aren't you with them?"

            "That dark Imperialdramon blew us away with one wing beat. TK and Kari fell down the hole he created, then he dived down after them!" 

            "And you didn't follow them?" Davis' face was pure crimson. "What kind of Digimon are you, letting your partners fall underground!" 

            Gatomon glared, "And just what can a Rookie and a Champion do against a Mega? We wouldn't have lasted a second, and there's no way down for us."

            Patamon nodded. "My wing's hurt. I can't fly. How could I fly down after them?"

            "So they could be dead right now and you're taking a time out up here?!" 

            "They're not dead!" Gatomon shouted with complete certainty. "I'd have felt it if Kari were dead. Besides, where were you when that new General appeared?" 

            Davis looked like he wanted to snap at them, but he turned and stormed towards the giant hole with DemiVeemon in tow. The whole way he kept muttering something venomous. The tiny Digimon in his arms could only offer an apologetic shrug.

            "What's his problem?" asked Armadillomon.

            "It's called being a jerk."

            "No, Yolei, that's not it." Ken said. "Davis is acting this way because he's worried about TK and Kari."  
            "Funny way of showing it: mouthing off to your friends."

            "Yes, it is a strange way of showing concern, but it is concern nonetheless."

            Cody frowned, "What makes you so certain?"

            "Davis and I are DNA digivolution partners, so we understand each others feelings on a deeper level. Although he might argue with TK a lot or get on Kari's bad side, Davis deeply cares about both of them and is concerned for their safety. We live closer to TK than Davis, yet he beat us here. He really must have torn up the road. 

            "As for badmouthing us, that's how Davis copes. Right now, two of his best friends could be seriously hurt. That thought alone gets his adrenaline pumping and shortens his fuse. He wants to help, but right now he can't. The only way he can handle the situation is to vent those frustrations. Unfortunately, we're the only sources to vent upon. I know it's rude and unfair, but this is how Davis handles trouble, and how he manages to pull through." 

            Yolei let out a steady breath. "I guess I can understand that. Still, there's gotta be a better way to cope."

            "Probably, but I don't think Davis is at that point yet." 

            "HEY!" Davis held up his D3. I'm getting a signal here! I think TK and Kari are close the surface." 

            Everyone pulled out their digivices. A set of pink and green dots were barely visible on the screen. Their position was surprisingly far away, over several blocks from their location. 

            "They must be on the move, trying to get back to the surface. This means they're alive and fit to move!" 

            "Hurry it up!" Davis was already on the move. "We haven't got all night." 

            Yolei balled up her fist. "Concerned or not, if he keeps talking like that, I'm gonna kill him!" 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            The stink of the sewer was the first thing that greeted him with consciousness returned. TK groaned and rubbed his head. A few blinks and a head shaking cleared his blurry vision, revealing an earthen tunnel, far taller than any human would need. As his mind tried to wake up with his body, he dug out the memories of what happened before darkness overtook him. 

            He'd been searching for a way out… and hurrying back to Kari. But he'd gotten sick and…

            TK bolted upright and looked around. He was no longer in the pit which had promised salvation. This looked like the way from which he'd entered. But he had collapsed before escaping that area, hadn't he? Maybe he'd crawled his way out with the last of his consciousness.

            In any case, he didn't feel ill anymore. His head had a slight ache to it but he did not feel as much pain as before. Whatever was in the place from which TK escaped, it didn't appear to have any long-lasting effects. Still, his heart sank. To be so close to a way out, and not be able to take it. How could he risk Kari's safety by bringing her into an area that might be poisonous? Or maybe it was some kind of trap made by the Emperor and his General. It didn't really matter. This escape was closed to him.

            As TK stood up to return to Kari, he glanced over shoulder. Something inside him was certain he could still escape through that passage. Maybe he could climb up the slope before his passed out again. But how could he do that while carrying Kari on his back? No. Whatever hope he had of escape, Kari's safety took precedence. 

            "TK!" A voice echoed from the tunnel. "TK? Where are you?" 

            "Kari?" TK tried to follow the voice as best as he could. He shouldn't have been able to hear her yet. He broke into a sprint. She was supposed to be farther back, safely hidden in a cavern. To be moving towards him with that wounded leg, something must be wrong. TK quickened his pace even more, half sprinting and slipping through the mud. He slipped and fell on his face, sliding several inches before he pushed himself off the ground and renewed his run without bothering to wipe himself off. All he could think about was what could be happening to Kari. ChaosImperialdramon might have found her, or might be on his way. The Emperor could have sent slaves to capture her, or even the Dark Ocean might be trying to take her again. ChaosWarGreymon had been made from Dark Ocean water, hadn't he? Could it be making a move to take her away?

            NO! TK rounded the corner, desperate to find Kari, and nearly slammed into her. He skidded to a stop, slipped, and found himself lying with his back as covered in mud and dirt as his front. Kari stared down at him, a surprised and bewildered look on her face. "Are you okay?" 

            "Y-yeah." TK stood up, not noticing the chunks of grim that fell off. "Are _you _okay?"

            "Yes. I waited for you to come back. When I woke up and you hadn't returned, I started to look for you." She was leaning up against the wall while resting most of her weight on her good leg. She looked pale and sweaty. The tax of carrying herself and healing was becoming too much for her. "What happened to you?" 

            "I passed out in a cavern. I think there was something in the air."

            "Is that why you're completely covered in mud?" 

            TK blinked and looked down at himself. His entire front and back were completely caked in soil. He looked like a brown Raremon. The sight was so silly he couldn't help but laugh. "I do look pretty messy, don't I? I, um, fell while I was running back to find you."

            Kari smiled slightly. "You didn't need to rush like that. I wasn't in any real danger." 

            "I guess… but when I heard you calling I thought you might have been in danger and I… I lost it. I needed to find you and make sure you were okay. Guess I became a real klutz in the process." Look at the floor was the only way to hide his shamed face. He felt like such a fool, tripping and falling through the mud while running like a scared deer. He must have looked so pathetic, covered in filth and panicky. 

            And then he felt a warm, soft hand on his cheek. Kari was leaned in and her lips touched his face for a brief second that sent a shock through his body. "Thank you." She said. "You're sweet." 

            "I-um-I-that is…" He cleared his throat. "We'd better get out of here. If you don't mind getting a little dirty."

            Kari laughed, "I'm already dirty. You don't mind shouldering my weight again?" 

            "Not at all." TK wiped his back off as best he could and presented it to Kari. In a few moments, they were trudging through the maze again. TK had to work hard to hold Kari in place. The mud made her slide down his back. His cheek was still warm from her kiss, and he hoped she didn't feel his heart pounding so hard inside his chest. For all the misery of being ambushed, wounded, chased, and covered in filth, this could have easily been the best night of his life. 

            In a few moments they reached the fork that TK and passed through earlier. He glanced at the right-hand path. Its siren call still haunted him, promising freedom and safety if he was willing to take one small risk. But not at Kari's safety, he reminded himself. He wouldn't risk her life to save his own. He'd find another way out. There had to be a way that didn't demand her life as well as his own. He leaned to the left. 

            And sincerely regretted it as the walls fell before them. A lumbering mass of armor and muscle stood before them, its drool forming a small pond on the already moist ground. ChaosImperialdramon stretched his wings as high as the ceiling would allow and let loose one terrifying roar that nearly deafened TK. 

            The choice had been made for him. He'd never outrun ChaosImperialdramon by doubling back, and the path to the left was blocked. The only option was flight for the open cavern. TK stood braced, knowing what would happen next. If he darted for the right, ChaosImperialdramon would block him, or simply smash through the wall and be upon them in no time. He had to wait for the moment to move.

            That moment came when ChaosImperialdramon lunged forward. It could have crushed them in one blow, but TK ducked and lunged forward. Kari screamed as the claws streaked by so close that their wake caused her hair to float, but she was unharmed. TK let the mud propel him forward, as it also forced ChaosImperialdramon to continue down the wrong way after he landed. 

            Quickly regaining his footing, TK charged down the right corridor. ChaosImperialdramon thundered behind them, closing in. The only speed advantage TK had came from ChaosImperialdramon's rage. He kept his wings outstretched, bashing them against the walls and ceiling as he ran. The wings cut deep paths through the earthen corridor and even caused part of it to collapse behind them. But they also slowed ChaosImperialdramon down considerably. That edge, however slight, kept TK and Kari alive a while longer. 

            TK's lungs burned, but he forced himself to move faster. Any moment, they'd reach the open cavern. He'd have to hold his breath and get Kari to climb as fast as she possibly could. With luck, whatever knocked him out before would stay close to the ground, and hopefully choke ChaosImperialdramon. 

            TK could smell something up ahead, but it wasn't gas or any type of position. It had a damp, pure smell to it. Rain. He smelled rain. _Oh no…_

            The two Digidestined emerged into the cavern to find a veil of rain awaiting them. It streaked down the walls and coated the debris on the floor. Already the ground had become a sea of mud and puddles. TK rolled his eyes and cursed whatever celestial force enjoyed making his life miserable. He then splashed through the water, making his way to the nearest slope.  

            ChaosImperialdramon wasn't far behind, but they still had a few seconds to start their ascent. TK pressed against the wall and ordered Kari to start climbing. "Go as fast as you can on your good foot. I'll push you up if you need help." Kari nodded and started climbing. She ascended by digging her good foot into the softened wall, pushing up, and digging her hands in to pull her the rest of the way. TK followed the same style just as ChaosImperialdramon herald his arrival by blowing apart the entrance. Flaming chunks of concrete and blackened dirt filled the cavern along with a cloud of smoke. 

TK coughed on the blackened air and suddenly realized that he wasn't experiencing the dizziness that he'd felt before. In fact, aside from his heart and lungs about the give out and the prospect of death looming closer and closer, he felt fine. Whatever had hit him earlier was gone now, possibly aired out. That meant that they didn't have to worry about passing out, but it also meant that there was nothing left to slow ChaosImperialdramon.

"AHHH!"

Kari's yelp diverted TK's attention. The moistened wall had given way, costing Kari her foothold. She clung desperately to the soil, her fingers leaving small trenches as she slipped down. Her full weight crashed into TK, whose hands yanked out portions of the wall as he fell back. Screaming, they both rolled down the slope and landed in a muddy puddle, right at the Chaos General's feet. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Author's Note: I'm pretty sure it's become obvious which romantic couple is featured in this story. 

            Some people might ask why I, Silver, an avid Daikari fan would write a Takari. The answer is twofold:

            1. I have no problem with the romantic coupling Takari. It's the rabid fans who turn their preference into a rivalry that bugs me.

            2. It's different. I've long preached that it's good to try to step away from what you know and do best in order to gain a new perspective. I chose to write a Takari because I wanted to see if it would help me become a better writer. I'm not sure it has, but I don't regret taking the chance. 

            I also have a request to make. Several new Digimon have been created through the Digimon Card game, but Megchan is no longer available for card translations. If someone could recommend a person who can translate Japanese, or knows of an up-to-date card translation site, I'd be very grateful for any information. 


	8. The Second General

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 8: The Second General

by Silver

*Disclaimer: I do not own any Digimon creatures, characters, or locations. The Chaos Generals were inspired by the Digimon World 2 video game, so I guess Bandai has a claim on them. Stupid Bandai.*

            Author's Note: This chapter will deal with a subject I haven't breeched in other topics: human fatalities. I don't know if it's the recent death of my grandmother, or the loss of lives in the Middle East, but I decided I would confront how the Digidestined might react to someone getting killed as a result of a Digimon battle. 

            If any of you have recently suffered the loss of a loved one, or are uncomfortable reading subjects about death, then I thank you for looking at my fan fiction but would warn against reading it if you are likely to become extremely upset. I may want to explore this subject, but I don't want to make people unhappy. 

            Hopefully, I haven't scared everyone off with this warning. I want to thank Daisukefire for proofreading this fic and giving his thoughts on how I can improve it. I hope all my readers will offer their own thoughts in a review. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Staring at those incredibly sharp teeth and those soulless red eyes, death was inevitable. There were no Digimon partners to save them; no allies to hear them scream; no way to run and no place to hide. TK and Kari were going to die.

            The black dragon towering over them stood poised to strike, but hesitated as if to savor the moment. TK shielded Kari with his body as best he could, but one claw strike could cut through both their bodies as easily as a nail punched through wax. There was nothing they could do. 

            Slowly, the Chaos General extended his claw forward, reaching for TK. "Move aside." He turned his claw on it side and brushed TK away. The action held only the smallest effort of force, but still toppled TK to the ground. Such a move could not even be considered a blow. It was more like an adult brushing a child aside. What on Earth could make the General spare him? Then TK noticed that Kari was not so lucky. 

            ChaosImperialdramon's claw had pulled back and was poised to strike at her prone body. TK sprinted forward just as the claw began to strike. With a cry and a desperate leap, TK flung himself between Kari and the incoming blades. He closed his eyes, expecting to feel his insides leaking out of a newly formed hole. He didn't want to think about how badly it would hurt. He'd know soon enough. 

            Or not. The blow never came. TK peeked out of one eye and sharply inhaled. The fatal blow had stopped centimeters from his face. He could see his reflection staring out of the creature's soiled armor. The look of surprise and fear on his face didn't do his true terror justice. 

            ChaosImperialdramon sighed. "Get out of the way! I'm trying to do a job here." 

            "What job?"  
            "Kill the girl, of course!" he said with a snarl. 

            "Why aren't you trying to kill me?"

            "Tempting, but no. I'm under orders to let you live. Kill the girl; make you swim in her blood, then leave. Simple."

            "SIMPLE?" Kari exclaimed. "That's sick!" 

            The General leaned in. "You two are my ticket out of this pit. I'm not the type to show mercy to creatures who don't deserve it, and if it weren't for my orders I'd kill you both without a second thought. Now, you!" He glared at TK. "Interfere again and I'll have to knock you out. Just stand still and say goodbye to your friend."

            "No." TK stood as bravely as he could. "Don't you touch her." 

            "My orders are to spare your life. There's nothing preventing me from maiming you. How'd you like to lose a leg? Or an arm perhaps? How about both?" A note of glee entered his voice. "Come to think of it, that might be fun!" He reached forward with one massive claw. "I'm still following orders. You can suffer, just not die."

            TK's legs shivered as if telling him to move. Deep inside his mind was a primal scream telling him to flee. _Abandon Kari and save yourself. You are not the target. You can live if you move!_

            But TK did not move. He'd never run away and leave his friends behind. Death was preferable to betrayal. 

            "TK! Move!" Kari cried. She leaned forward and tried to push him, but he wouldn't budge. How could he live with himself knowing that he'd abandoned a friend… and maybe something more? In the moment of his death, TK thought back to all the time he'd spent with Kari, and how comfortable he'd grown around her. Somehow, without his realizing it, he'd gotten used to her being near him. 

            His life had been filled with people coming and leaving. His parents had divorced, causing his father and brother to disappear for unbearably long periods, and his mother had thrown herself into her work, making her a wavering presence in his life. Things had settled when Tai and the others had become his friends, but as they grew older their interests and schedules changed from TK's. Suddenly, he saw his friends less and less. Davis, Cody, Yolei, and Ken were all bright new elements in his world, and he treasured them; but he knew it wouldn't last forever. Soon they'd all go off to different high schools or colleges, and maybe even drift apart. The one constant, the only thing he felt would always be near him, was Kari. She'd been close by ever since their first adventure in the Digital World. Even after he'd moved away and reunited with her years later, it felt as if nothing had changed. He hadn't been away from her as long as he'd thought. And now he would have to say goodbye to her as well. _But she's not going away. I am._

            TK closed his eyes and awaited the slaughter. ChaosImperialdramon might be intent on harming him, but TK would not back down until he was dead. He could feel the claws moving closer to his body. His soft flesh trembled at the thought of the cold steel slicing through and ripping him apart. But no matter how he trembled, he did not move.

            "V Laser!" TK's eyes snapped open when he heard a new voice from high above. 

            "Blast Rings!" Twin beams of energy, one shaped like an X, the other a series of glowing rings, shot down from the heavens and struck ChaosImperialdramon in the eyes. He lurched backwards, screaming and covering his smoking head with his claws. 

            "Kari! TK!" A huge humanoid dragon with blue scales and a white belly descended with a small human on his shoulder. A large crimson bird with black horns protruding from its head circled above with a young woman riding its back. Davis motioned for them to come closer. "Get over here!"

            TK ran forward and picked Kari up. Davis noticed the motion. "HEY! What's up with you two?"   
            "Kari can't walk. She hurt her leg!" 

            XV-mon knelt down and scooped them up in his hands. "Hold tight." He ascended to join Aquillamon, and they both flew for the exit high above. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            The world returned in a hazy blur. His eyes still stung from the unexpected blows that had penetrated his guard. It was shameful to think that a Mega had been harmed by a mere Champion's attack. He'd not seen the creatures coming, or heard the wind brushing off their wings. He was not a hunter. He did not pay attention to such things. 

            But he was a juggernaut; a being of destruction that leveled everything in his path. His targets had escaped and were now shielded by their companions. That was fine. He'd go through those protectors in order to kill that girl. She was indeed his ticket out of the soiled prison the Emperor had thrust him into. His target was now outside in the free, open skies. He was following orders by pursuing her into that freedom. 

            One beat of his wings kicked up huge stones of mud and concrete, sending them smashing into each other and the walls. His body rose effortlessly, wrapped in the caress of the wind. The air elevated him with a gentle care known only to nature itself. For a moment, he had regained his freedom and reveled in his rightful environment. He would protect this freedom with all his being. And he would ensure it by killing that one, small, insignificant human.

            ChaosImperialdramon rose to meet freedom.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Finally, something that didn't smell like a sewer. TK inhaled deeply, enjoying the cool, clean air of the city. Even if people complained that cities were dirty and smog-filled, they certainly smelled better than the underworld. He glanced over at Kari and smiled. She returned the expression. They'd cheated death again, a feat that most humans could never claim. For all the times they'd come close to dying, they'd won every time. He felt a fresh surge of hope and optimism as they left the darkness of the underground labyrinth behind. 

            "Hey! HEY!" Davis, noticing their expressions, was practically hanging off XV-mon's neck. "How's about some thanks to the guy who saved you two?"

            "Wait a minute!" Yolei barked. "I helped save them too. Quit trying to steal all the credit!"

            "I was doin' just fine on my own!"

            "Why you… Aquillamon! Fly me closer so I can strangle that jerk!" 

            TK laughed. "Thanks a lot, Davis. You too, Yolei." 

            Kari nodded. "We'd have been lost without you two."

            Yolei nodded, "You should have seen Davis. He was a complete wreck while looking for you two."

            "I was not!" protested a beat-red Davis. "I was just… worried about Kari. That's all."

            "Uh-huh, sure. You just don't wanna admit you were worried about TK too."

            "XV-mon! I want you to attack Yolei, right now!" 

            "Hey, don't drag me into this! I'm just the transportation service." 

            "Everyone!" Cody called from below, standing next to Ken, Stingmon, and Armadillomon. It took TK a few breathes to realize that their Digimon were at the Champion level, even with a control spire towering behind them. Izzy had been right; the power to block Champion evolutions was lost to the Emperor. The Digidestined were gaining power. 

            TK leaped off XV-mon the minute they were close to the ground. "TK!" Patamon leaped from Stingmon's arms and embraced his partner. "I was so worried about you!" 

            "Kari!" Gatomon also appeared. "Are you all right?"

            "I'm fine." Kari nursed her leg. "But I hurt my ankle when we fell. I don't think I'll be doing any running for the time being."

            "Speaking of running," said Cody, "we need to get out of here. Whatever you guys were fighting down there will be after us in no time, and we're attracting unwanted attention." He pointed to beyond the control spire, where crowds of people gathered and the glaring flash of police car lights sped down the street. A fight here would be too dangerous. Cody was right, as usual. 

            The wind picked up, nearly lifting everyone off the ground. The moonlight vanished from the scenery and TK looked to the sky for an explanation. He wished he hadn't. A titanic winged beast leered at them with hellfire eyes.  

            "It's ChaosImperialdramon!" Kari cried.

            Ken jumped into his Digimon's arms. "We have to go, now! Lead him away from these people!" 

            TK nodded and held up his D3. "Patamon digivolve to… Angemon!" Patamon's small pudgy form blazed with light and shifted into a towering angel, dressed in white with a helmet covering his forehead. He scooped up TK, Kari, and Gatomon, then lifted them into the air with a flap of his six wings. 

            The light returned to the surrounding area, but it was far too harsh for the moon. A second look to the sky revealed an even more horrifying sight. The twin cannons nestled between ChaosImperialdramon's wings flashed with a deadly power. With a cry of, "Chaotic Laser!" dual beams of black energy rained down and struck the ground. Thousands of voices chorused screams as people and buildings vanished in an ever-expanding sphere of deadly light. Those screams quickly vanished in the roar of an explosion. 

            Angemon clung to his passengers as the blast flung him far and slammed him through the side of a building. His wings became shields as they bore the weight of rubble crashing down atop him. TK failed to hold back a cry of panic and terror, and reached out for the nearest source of warmth he could find as everything he knew threatened to be destroyed. He found Kari's hand and clung to it as best he could while holding on to Angemon at the same time.

            After a few terrified heartbeats, the explosions rumble died out, leaving behind a buzzing in his ears which almost drown out the sound of pebbles falling. Angemon dug himself out of the pile of debris that now covered him and looked at his protectorate. "Are you unharmed?"

            "Y-yeah." TK trembled, his invincibility less than a memory now. "Kari?"

            "Those… those people…" Kari was whiter than Angemon's body suite, and her gaze darted between TK and the hole they'd created in the side of the building. It took a moment for TK to realize what she meant.          

            The Digidestined had their partners to protect them from the blast. What about the civilians who had been standing by peacefully and oblivious to the danger they were in? "Angemon, we have to go back."

            Angemon did not move. "TK. That blast was far too large. For anyone to have survived…"

            "We need to go back or there will be another attack!" TK couldn't — no — wouldn't think about what would happen if a second blast came. He couldn't even grasp what had already occurred. But he soon had to confront reality when Angemon relented and flew out of the damaged structure. A crater engulfed several city blocks. There was nothing left of the section that had once been a part of the city. The air was choked with dust and ashes, and TK nearly threw up when he realized his was probably coughing on the remains of the innocent.

            At the rim of the crater stood a massive crowd of people. Some had been far enough away from the blast to be horribly burned, yet still live. Their faces were red and black, and many lay paralyzed with pain. Others screamed the names of loved ones who had been at the heart of the blast.

            "Mommy? Daddy! Where are you?" A little girl sobbed in a corner.

            "Sumiko! Summmikooo!" A young man was held back by his friends while he tried to vault into the scene of destruction. 

            "Shiro? Where is my Shiro?" One mother wept among dozens of others. 

            TK's heart clenched in his chest. He felt his muscles weaken and slumped in Angemon's grasp. He couldn't believe something like this had happened. Thousands of Digimon had perished in battles with the Dark Masters and now the Chaos Generals, but never a human. There had not been a human fatality once in his history as a Digidestined. Now there were too many. All the people's screams and cries stabbed his ears and raked his heart. He felt as though he'd pass out from the weight of their grief. 

            "Kari, TK!" XV-mon and Davis flew in to join them with Cody and Armadillomon in tow. Stingmon, Aquillamon, and their partners were close behind. "Are you two..?" He didn't finish. It was obvious that none of them could be "all right" after what happened. 

            "All those people." Kari whispered. 

            "We… we have to…" TK couldn't think of what to say.

            "We have to fight." Davis said with a calm and resolve that took everyone by surprise. "If we run, that freak will just fire again and take out more people. If we fight, he'll still fire, but it'll be here where the damage is already done. We can stop him and finish him off before anyone else dies."

            "Davis is right." Cody looked like he'd faint or throw up, or both. "We can't avoid this fight. Even if there is more damage to the city… it'll be less than letting him run around unchecked." 

            Yolei glanced around frantically. "But this isn't like the fight in the Digital World! There are people everywhere! Can't we use a digiport?"

            "We don't have a computer." Ken said. "And besides, Digimon died in our fight with ChaosWarGreymon as well. No matter what we do or where we fight, someone is going to die. ChaosImperialdramon is simply too powerful. Any fight we get involved in with him will be brutal."

            "Then it's decided." TK nodded. "We fight…"

            Far from where they now hovered, the Chaos General laughed.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. The land was free of cancer and mold, lying almost as smooth and pure as the sky itself. All the irregularities, the ugly, festering boils that housed parasites and ruined the veil-like softness of the land were gone in a blaze of purifying light. The glow and the drumbeats of the blast were a symphony of vaccination. Nature was restored and could not reassert itself in this once corrupted area. 

            But there was so much more work to do. Only a small section was cleansed. A whole rotting infection lay beneath him. Hovering with the night wind's tickling his wings; ChaosImperialdramon pondered the daunting sterilization that lay before him.

            Nature was pure and flat. Trees and plants grew together to form a lush canopy that was far smoother and clean that anyone realized. The branches intertwined harmoniously to support one another and give shade to all creatures. Only by viewing the land from the freedom of the sky could one truly appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

            Cities were chaos incarnate. The sky scrapers stood alone and competed for domination of the sky, a feat beyond any construct. Yet humans kept building these abominations, and expanding them. Although their lights appeared smooth from the air, the source of those lights was not. Cities were rough and uncoordinated. They were a mesh of twisting streets and small creatures, insignificant and unobservable from the air, crammed together into too small a space. They were a cancer on the land. A boil on natural perfect. They were not needed.

            And it was so easy to get rid of them. Years of work and development, gone in a flash that lasted only several heartbeats! How intoxicating it was to render the mighty low. How beautiful to wipe the land clean and undo all the damage without running short of breath. He laughed with pleasure at his accomplishment, and the promise of things to come. This was but a prelude. Once the Emperor owned this world, he'd let ChaosImperialdramon wipe it clean so a new empire, a clean empire, could be built in harmony with nature. And then ChaosImperialdramon, seen by fools as a threat, would be recognized as the savior of life he truly was.

            Far below, the small bugs crowded below to see his works and tremble at his power. None of them were chosen by the wind. None could rise to challenge him. They were earthbound bugs who lacked the power to heal nature. All they could do was scream and cry and shout insults at his work. Too weak for even his notice. Perhaps he would dispense this second crowd right now. 

            In the end, only nature was a life worth saving. Small lives, the lives of bugs and humans, were easily replaced. They'd always grow back so long as nature itself endured. 

            ChaosImperialdramon paused, sensing a new power headed his way. Several Digimon, three pathetic Champions and an Armor Digimon, flew towards him without fear or hesitation. Such reckless bravado suggested they had come to challenge him. They were truly stupid creatures. ChaosWarGreymon had fallen to six Armor Digimon. ChaosImperialdramon would not permit such a humiliation to himself. 

            There were humans with the Digimon, including his target who rode on the back of the winged cat Digimon. So these Digidestined would throw all their lives away so quickly? Fine. 

            But that one boy — the one the Emperor wanted alive — was among his challengers. If ChaosImperialdramon was not careful, he'd wipe out the one life he couldn't kill yet. Victory at that price would cost him his future as the Emperor's servant. Who would restore nature then? 

            This called for some restraint. He'd only use one laser for the kill. 

            The first two challengers came at him head-on. The red eyes of both the giant insect and the blue dragon shown with a rage that was uncommon amongst his foes. Where was the terror? The doubt? ChaosImperialdramon had slaughtered several strong Digimon while conquering the Digital World earlier that day. Why were these lesser Digimon so bold?

            "You damn forgery!" The dragon flew in with its fist cocked pack and aimed a strike at his head. ChaosImperialdramon lifted his claw and intercepted the blow on the blunt end of his blade. 

            Of course. These two Digimon joined to form the regular, inferior Imperialdramon. No wonder they were so mad. It must be odd to find yourself fighting against a superior version of your highest form. He swatted the blue gnat with his wing. 

            "Spiking Strike!" The other insect, the one that actually looked the part, came from below with a glowing red spike aimed at his underbelly. Good move, but still weak and slow. With another flap, ChaosImperialdramon pushed himself backwards. The green insect flew right in front of his face, then back down after meeting the bottom of ChaosImperialdramon's claws. 

            "You two are weak." He chuckled. "Why get so mad over my appearance?"

            "You think that's the only reason?" the dragon demanded.

            Insect's fists trembled uncontrollably. "All these people… you murdered them! Don't you even realize what you've done?"

            ChaosImperialdramon shrugged. "I know what I did. I don't care. I just cleared away an infection. You're too small to realize the benefits of what I'm doing." 

            "Only a sick and twisted mind would think in those terms!" An angle clad in white swooped down alongside the giant red bird from before and the sphinx-styled white cat. They all unleashed unified attacks, and likewise they all failed to penetrate his armor. 

            Odd. The humans were gone. Where was his target? He couldn't start blasting until he knew where he couldn't aim. 

            He finally spotted them far below, standing next to a four-legged dinosaur clad in yellow and deep gold armor. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            "I feel so helpless." sighed Ankylomon. "All the others can fly. I'm stuck down here." 

            Cody patted his partner's immense foot. "It's okay. We need someone to protect us down here. Right, Davis?"

            "Get him XV-mon! Knock his teeth out! Show 'im who's boss!"

            "… he's enthusiastic." Sigh. 

            Davis and Ken were complete wrapped up in the battle. They didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects from standing in the crater created by ChaosImperialdramon. TK couldn't help but wonder how many corpses were clinging to the bottom of his shoes. The very thought made him wretch. He felt a source of warmth on his shoulder and found Kari's hand. She too looked like she was suffering from the environment. He placed his hand atop hers in thanks.

            "How do you think we're doing?"

            "Bad. XV-mon and Stingmon are fighting like their possessed. Their anger's making them sloppy and reckless. I'm afraid they'll get themselves killed. Davis and Ken don't seem to notice because they're just as mad as their Digimon."

            TK nodded. "I know. Angemon, Nefertimon and Aquillamon are being much more cautious." But that caution wasn't helping. None of their attacks, however well-timed, were getting through. ChaosImperialdramon would simply block with his armor or strafe to the side. This was all a game to him, and they were just toys. Their attacks pricked and poked at his armor, never breaking his defenses. How long would it be before he got tired and vaporized the whole area? They'd all die without ever putting up a decent fight.

            Such thoughts weren't easily banished, but TK knew he couldn't give into them. He had to live through this. They all had to. The Emperor needed to be stopped. ChaosImperialdramon was just a symptom of the Emperor's plague. If he ruled unchallenged, there'd be even more senseless deaths. 

            "Chaotic Laser!" TK snapped from his reflection into utter terror as another blast sprung from ChaosImperialdramon's back. But the shot was aimed high at the Digimon, who barely managed to dodge it. While still afraid for his friends' safety, TK couldn't help but feel some relief that no one else had died yet. 

            Up above, XV-mon and Stingmon took advantage of the break in ChaosImperialdramon's attention to strike from behind. Unfortunately, that was where his tale waited. One lash toppled both Digimon and thrust them to the ground far below, creating a second, smaller crater upon impact. 

            Davis and Ken ran to their fallen partners with the others close behind. "Are you guys okay?" 

            "L-lemme at 'im." XV-mon shook a layer of dirt off his wings.

            "You two have to calm down!" Kari pleaded. "If you keep fighting like this you'll end up dead before you even land a punch. You can't fight with so much anger."

            "Easy for you to say." grumbled XV-mon. "You're not fighting a mirror." 

            "A mirror?"

            Stingmon nodded. "That thing above us is like a reflection of what we would be if we'd chosen a different path. It's every abuse of power that we're capable of. He has all our strength and power when we become Imperialdramon. He even looks like us! He's abusing the power we have!"

            "And it's not like we haven't sometime thought about abusing that power ourselves." XV-mon stood back up. "We don't mean to think that like, but we just wonder sometimes what it be like if we _really _let loose. It's such a rush when we evolve to a Mega. All that power just goes to your head and you start to wonder what you're really capable of. We know we'd never actually do anything to hurt others, but the thought still bounces around in our minds. If we really wanted we might level the entire Digital World, or Earth." 

            "We have to beat him, because he reminds us too much of what we could be."

            Of what they could be. TK could now empathize with XV-mon and Stingmon. They, like him, saw their opponent as a dark reflection of themselves. How was fighting ChaosImperialdramon any different than fighting a Digimon Emperor empowered with the crest of Hope? This battle made TK's conflict all the clearer, but he saw from the other Digidestined's faces that they did not feel the same way. Davis and Ken could sympathize with their partners, but they could not fully comprehend the rage that came with such a fight.

            "XV-mon, Stingmon, I know how you feel, but you can't let your anger control you. If you fight blind and don't work with the other Digimon," who were being thrashed at that moment, "you'll be killed. And then that dark reflection will rule forever. Is that what you want?"

            "No…" XV-mon let out a slow breath. "Okay, you gotta point." 

            Stingmon regarded Davis and Ken. "We need to evolve to our golden armor forms. Champions aren't enough in this fight." Both Digimon reverted to their rookie levels and watched expectantly.

            The two Digidestined nodded. "Golden armor energize!"

            "Veemon golden armor digivolve to… Magnamon!"

            "Wormmon golden armor digivolve to… Hypermon!" 

            TK's hopes rose along with the Golden Armor Digimon. Surly if they had the power to defeat one Chaos General, they could do so again. ChaosImperialdramon was powering up another blast aimed at Angemon and the others. Nefertimon and Aquillamon were battered from tail to head. Their wings could barely sustain their flight. Angemon was not much better off. He'd barely managed to distract ChaosImperialdramon's attacks away from his comrades. 

            "Double Golden Punch!" Magnamon and Hypermon struck in unison, and although ChaosImperialdramon was able to block with his claw shield, the impact dented his armor. The entire team cheered at the first sign that they had the power to resist their foe.

            "Not bad." ChaosImperialdramon shook his leg. "That made me a little numb. I guess I'll have to take you more seriously now. MODE CHANGE!" In a flash of black lightning, the dragon's form shifted. Its rear legs straightened and extended while its forward legs grew smaller and sprouted fists. Its head retracted into its chest, transforming into a plate of armor. A new head sprouted at the top, and one Chaos Laser adorned each wrist. The dragon was now much more humanoid, and even more familiar.

            "Oh no…" ChaosImperialdramon was now in his "Fighter Mode" a form that boosted Imperialdramon's power to new heights. TK's hopes began to wane.

            If Davis felt any hesitation, he didn't show it. "Don't let that copycat scare you, Magnamon! Go for it!" 

            "Right!" Magnamon flew to meet his counterpart. "Miracle Missiles!" A barrage of small projectiles launched from his oversized shoulder pads and pricked at the Mega's armor. ChaosImperialdramon laughed at the harmless assault and snatched Magnamon out of the air. He casually tossed his new prize at Hypermon, sending both Digimon tumbling.

            "Rosetta Stones!"

            "Blast Rings!" A hail of stone tablets surrounded by burning red circles had no greater effect than Magnamon's attack. ChaosImperialdramon raised one arm.

            "Chaotic Laser!" Another blast narrowly missed the Digimon, but its power forced them to revert to their Rookie levels. Angemon swooped and caught Hawkmon and Gatomon before they could fall.

            "This isn't working!" Cody said as Angemon dropped off his passengers. "ChaosImperialdramon is far more powerful than ChaosWarGreymon. We need another plan than a frontal assault." 

            "If you've got a better plan," Davis said while nursing Magnamon out of the dirt, "I'd love to hear it right now!" 

            "Whatever we plan," Kari pointed to the sky, "we'd better hurry. Look!" Several small dots hovered in the night's sky, barely visible against the darkness. TK squinted to see… planes. Japanese fighters streaked in and released a barrage of missiles at ChaosImperialdramon.

            "NO!" TK knew the outcome before the projectiles even struck their target. A brief fireball light up the surrounding area, bringing painful detail to the remains of the city block and the masses that now fled through the streets. Two blood-colored wings flapped the smoke away, revealing an unharmed ChaosImperialdramon.

            "Pull back… pull back." The fighters didn't hear TK. Instead they dove in and peppered ChaosImperialdramon with bullets, none of which could pierce its skin. ChaosImperialdramon lashed out and plucked a plane out of the air, crushing it in his fist. He then tossed the remains at a street filled with people.

            "Watch out!" Ankylomon charged forward. With one leap he cleared over a mass of people and shielded them from the falling wreckage. The flaming remains smashed against his armored shell and bounced away, crashing into buildings and part of the road. The people below Ankylomon ducked down and covered their heads. Many cried, all of them screamed. 

            Ankylomon shook the metal fragments off his back and looked down at the lives he'd protected. "Are you all right?" 

            None of the people answered. They just stared up at him with terror filled eyes, then screamed and scrambled away from him. None of the armor on Ankylomon's body could protect him from the pain their flight caused him.

            "We can't protect these people." said Ken. "They think _our Digimon are a threat. We need to end this quickly before anyone else is put at risk."_

            They were already too late for that. Another blast of Chaotic Laser vaporized the two remaining fighter planes. 

            "I will buy you more time." said Angemon as he stumbled to his feet. "Try to think up a different strategy as quickly as possible." He flew off before TK could protest. ChaosImperialdramon was probably a fake Digimon like ChaosWarGreymon. That meant Angemon's powers were diminished against this threat. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            The air burned in the aftermath of so many Chaotic Lasers, and new craters dotted the landscape wherever his enemies had fallen. Every part of his body burned with the natural exhilaration that came with battle. Yes, this was what nature intended. The adrenaline pumping, the blood rushing both within and outside the body; this was the natural state of all creatures! 

            Nature thrived on combat. All living beings fought for survival. To lose that fight, or to abandon it, was to die. Surrounded by the unbound sky and towering over the slowly restoring Earth, ChaosImperialdramon was in his element, the master of all natural order. 

            So how fitting it was that an angel would rise to challenge him. Humans regarded angels as supernatural beings, surpassing any law that bound normal creatures. It would be interesting to see if this angel could survive natural selection. 

            "Angel Rod!" A small stick thumped against his armor. Pathetic. "Hand of Fate!" Now a tiny blast of energy. Really. 

            "Hand of- urrggh!" Not again. No more pitiful attacks. Such weakness in natural combat was neither thrilling nor comical. It was just sad. 

            ChaosImperialdramon squeezed his clenched fist and tried to feel the Angel's bones snap. He screamed and strained to break free, but there was no way he could release himself. _If you're strong, you live. If you weak, you die. Nature stays strong by weeding out the weaklings. Even and angel is not immune to that selection._

            "Let him go!" The two golden Digimon were back in the air and ready to continue the fight. Good. They were far more of a challenge. He tossed his less-than-challenging opponent aside and readied himself for a far more pleasurable selection process. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *            
  


            "ANGEMON!" TK cried as he ran to his fallen partner. The dream for earlier that morning returned with horrifying impact. Angemon couldn't be dead again; he just couldn't.

            Breath returned when Angemon flexed wings and limped up from his prone position. "I… I am sorry, TK. I'm not strong enough to beat him."

            "It's not your fault." TK knelt beside his partner to check for wounds. "The Emperor's stacked the odds against us. He's too much of a coward to fight fair, so he's limiting our abilities." 

            "If only I could digivolve." Angemon huffed. "If I could just join with Ankylomon and become Shakkoumon. We would have a better chance if I could just digivolve!" He pounded the ground.

            TK had never seen his friend so upset. Angemon had always stood against dark Digimon far more evolved than himself and managed to win, but this enemy was too strong. TK could feel Angemon's frustration and anger at being unable to turn the tide. _If he could digivolve…If only…_

            TK's entire body burned with the desire to see his partner reach a new level. Surely a more powerful Angemon, combined with Magnamon and Hypermon's powers, could end this fight before anyone else had to sacrificed to that monster. But how could they reach that power with the control spires blocking everything? If only there was a way!

            A bright flash surrounded TK's body, so intense he feared he'd been lit of fire by his own desire. Was his crest reacting? No; the glow came from his pocket, not his heart. TK pulled out his D3, which was flashing a bright green core on its screen. It took TK a moment to recognize the item he'd received from Oikawa. It almost looked like a digicore, the powerful tool used by Azulongmon to restore the power of Ultimate evolution to the original Digidestined's Digimon. Was this a similar power?

            It didn't matter. Even if it did hold the power of evolution, it was useless as long as the control spire blanketed Odaiba with their power. Izzy's example had proven that destroying one spire wasn't enough to unlock the Digimon's full power. Even though ChaosImperialdramon had vaporized the local spire, the other dark pillars would extend their reach and make up for the lost ground… or most of it, at least.

            TK's mind ran through Izzy's explanation again, this time focusing on the computer image of the control zones expanding and overlapping. They'd covered almost the entire sector, except for a small patch of space where the first spire had stood. Although most of the area was still dampened by the spires, one tiny bubble of freedom had remained. 

            "Angemon!" TK's blood rushed with a new plan. "I want you to fly directly over the spot where the control spire stood." He pointed to a particularly darkened piece of land.

            "But why?"

            "Don't ask, just trust me! You might get your wish!" Angemon nodded and followed TK's instructions. This had to work on the first try, before ChaosImperialdramon finished Magnamon and Hypermon. 

            When Angemon was in place, hovering over the airspace once dominated by the control spire, TK selected the glowing core within his D3 and unleashed its power. 

            Bright green lances sprung from the screen and shot into the air. They curved and wrapped around Angemon, encasing him in a cocoon of energy. With a final burst, a new power emerged.

            "Angemon warp digivolve to… Seraphimon!" Angemon's face vanished behind a mask of sapphire metal with a four-pointed golden star across its center. The rest of his body became sheathed in silver and sapphire armor, with ten gold wings arching from his back. A yellow cloth hung from his waist with a message written in digital language scrolled across its surface. He glowed with an intensive light that pushed away all the night's shadows and turned a portion of the sky blue. TK stood transfixed as he gazed at his new Mega partner. MagnaAngemon had been truly impressive; Seraphimon was awe-

inspiring.

            "He digivolved?" Davis's jaw hung by his ankles. "How'd that happen?"

            TK explained, "I remembered Izzy's explaination. While most of this area still dampens digivolutions, there's a small spot where the control spire once stood that remains free. I had Angemon hover over that area while I used the power Oikawa had given me."

            "Do you guys realize what this means?" Yolei cried. "We now have the power to defeat ChaosImperialdramon!"

            TK nodded. "She's right, go for it, Seraphimon!" 

            ChaosImperialdrmon had ceased his attack on Magnamon and Hypermon, and now regarded his new opponent. "So, I finally face a Mega?"

            Seraphimon pointed an accusing finger. "ChaosImperialdramon! You are a murderer with no respect for life! For the sake of all who live, I cannot allow you to continue to abuse your power. If you do not surrender now, I will be forced to destroy you."

            ChaosImperialdramon laughed. "I am a preserver of nature. The beings that are gone were a plague upon the land. I only removed that which harms the Earth."

            "All living things are a part of nature. To kill them off even a small portion is to harm the whole. One cannot save the world by resorting to your savage means." 

            Another laugh. "And yet here you are threatening to kill me. How does that make you any different?"

            "You kill out of a desire to cause harm and show no respect for the ones you destroy. I do not seek to end your life. Rather, I offer you a chance to end this peaceably. If you deny this offer and attack me, then you will perish of your own violent nature. I want to end this without battle, will you accept this chance?"

            An aimed cannon answered his question. "Nature is based on fighting and conflict. A sheep does not try to discuss matters with the wolf that devours it just as the lion does not apologize to the zebra it slays. I will be true to my nature and end you here and now! Chaotic Laser!" 

            Seraphimon remained in the air and held out his arms. "Seven Heavens!" A golden sphere of light formed before his outstretched hands, and six more formed to circle around the first. With a small push, Seraphimon shot the seven orbs of power outward. As they sped on a collision course with ChaosImperialdrmaon's blast, they converged on one point and erupted into a small nova that overpowered the Chaotic Laser blast. 

            Seraphimon said coolly, "I'm more than ready for another try. Still certain you do not wish to surrender?"

            "More than ever. Chaotic Laser!" Another beam of destructive energy shot outward.

            "Seven Heavens!" Again the circle of power met the blast head on, ending the shooting in a draw. Or so it seemed.

            "Chaotic Laser!" ChaosImperialdramon fired a second blast with his other arm, which remained freshly charged. TK felt the blood leave his face as he realized that Seraphimon would not be able to ready another Seven Heavens attack in time to save himself. 

            "Seraphimon!!!"

            "Double Golden Punch!"  Magnamon and Hypermon struck from below, sinking their fists into ChaosImperialdramon's left arm. The impact forced his arm upwards, taking the blast along with it. The beam of destructive power lanced upwards into the nights sky, destroying nothing more than a bundle of clouds. 

            Magnamon and Hypermon quickly backed away from ChaosImperialdramon and hovered beside Seraphimon.

            "Thank you." breathed Seraphimon. "I feared I was done for."

            "You know," said Magnamon, "when somebody's shooting at you, it's a good idea to _dodge_!" 

            "I cannot."

            "Why not?" 

            "If I move from this area, I will revert back to Angemon. This is the only airspace free of the control spires' dampening power. If I am to be of any help in this fight, I must remain where I am."

            "Wonderful." sighed Hypermon. "So how do we fight and keep you covered at the same time?"

            "My life is not a concern in this battle. We must defeat ChaosImperialdramon above all else. And I have a plan to do so."

            "I'm all ears." growled Magnamon.

            "He drops his guard when he fires a Chaotic Laser. If you can disable one cannon, I can force him to waste his energy on a fire fight. You can then move in and strike him at close range."

            "And just how do we get close enough to take out one of his arm cannons? He'll fry us in a second!"

            "I shall cover you. Be ready to move when I launch my attack."

            Hypermon turned to his fellow Golden Armor Digimon. "It's the best plan we have right now. You ready?"

            "No. But let's go." They both braced for the attack.

            "Seven Heavens!" The two Golden Digimon streaked after the array of orbs, hidden behind its already golden glow.

            "Chaotic Laser." The third collision was no different from the first two. Both blasts cancelled each other out. But it also left a gap for Hypermon and Magnamon to fly through. ChaosImperialdramon didn't see them coming until he had already aimed his second cannon.

            "Chaotic-"

            "Magna Blast!"

            "Hyper Laser!" The two attacks bombarded the arm cannon, beating away at its armor until it cracked and fell apart under the barrage. Magnamon followed up with one final blow. 

"Magna kick!" With all his strength, he drove his heel into the cannon, releasing the pent-up energy in one unexpected explosion. Magnamon spiraled out of control in the blast's wake until Hypermon swooped in and caught him. ChaosImperialdramon did not fare as well.

"Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!" Black fluid, too thin for blood, dripped from the new stump that had once been his left arm. The limb itself was nowhere to be seen; vaporized in the attack. 

            "Seven Heavens!" ChaosImperialdramon didn't have time to recover from the first wave of pain as a second attack struck him in the chest. As the weakened Mega staggered backwards, Magnamon and Hypermon pulled back for one final assault.

            "It's time to end this, once and for all!" 

            "We'll show you our most powerful attack!" They streaked forward in a corkscrew formation, circling each other as they sped. Their two auras shone brighter, gaining in intensity until they merged into one inferno. 

            "Golden Meteor!" The comet dove towards ChaosImperialdramon's midsection, which lay totally exposed after Seraphimon's attack. In one final clash, the combo strike struck dead center, and the Chaos General vanished in a blaze of gold. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            His legs. Why were his legs over there? Shouldn't they be beneath him, where they always were? 

            He was cold, so cold. The night sky did nothing to warm the ice ball that grew within his chest and stretched throughout his body. The lower half had already gone cold and numb… maybe because it was over there.

            The wind slipped cruelly past his wings, refusing the lift him up. He could must no strength to try to catch the updrafts. All he felt was coldness and the caress of apathetic winds. The sky was now ruled by his rivals, and he fell back to the prison of soil. It seemed a cruel fate for a creature that loved to fly. 

            _He'd lost. Lost to a small infection. The thought rolled around in his mind without finding a perch. It was ludicrous. The very notion that he could lose to creatures so small. They had blown away under his power, sterilized by his fire. Yet six small infections and their equally small Digimon had somehow over powered him._

            _If you're strong you live. If you're weak you die…His defeat meant that he was weaker than these creatures. He himself was not suited to live in nature for something strong existed. It was a painful realization that struck at a primal core. All animals feared death, it was a driving force for all nature. That he should fear his death was no surprise. But he quickly realized he need not feel shame.            _

            If he had lost due to his own weakness, then he would die. The deer did not feel shame when eaten by the wolf; nor the lam by the fox. Even though not a part of this world by birth, he would die as a part of its cycle. The only true concern was the completion of his mission. Who would sterile the world of its infection with him gone? 

            The Emperor. The Emperor would fulfill his mission and restore order to nature. Surly his lord would not forsake the dreams of his subordinates. So long as the Emperor existed, the world would change. The purge would still happen. The weak died out to nourish the strong. His death would somehow nourish the Emperor's reign.

            _Digidestined, he spat one last glance at the Digimon hovering above. _You think you have won. You do not know what awaits you. Even I feared the Third General. He will strike you down without hesitation. The Emperor's right-hand general will finish you, and my dreams will be fulfilled. _As he closed his eyes, he savored one final caress of the wind; glad to die out in the open. _

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            TK watched the two halves of ChaosImperialdramon fall and melt into a black rain. Like ChaosWarGreymon, this General was not a real Digimon. It was… something different; something cruel and dark that took pleasure in destruction in death. Something that had ended a lot of lives this night.  

            He should have felt happy to see that murdering monster destroyed, but all he felt was emptiness. One death couldn't replace a thousand others. No one was coming back this time. No Primary Village, no new life as an egg. People were dead, and they wouldn't return the same was as Digimon. 

            Up above Seraphimon, Magnamon, and Hypermon descended and reverted back to their Rookie forms. Each one collapsed into the arms of their partners and fell asleep instantly. 

            The Digidestined themselves glanced at each other, not sure what to say. The full impact of what had happened that night was clear to all of them. The crater they stood in was shallow compared to the hole in their hearts. The second General had cost them more than anyone could have expected, and the final General was bound to be even more powerful. How would they face such a beast without losing more lives?

            In his uncertainty, TK hardly noticed the police sirens and ambulances pulling up to the craters rim. Thousands of people were gathering around, staring horrified at the destruction. Some people screamed names of loved ones who had lived in the area, others just stood in numb silence. Paramedics ran forward to check all the children for injuries, especially Kari's ankle. 

            TK didn't hear the words the police officer spoke to him. He just saw the man's mouth move and nodded dully. Soon he was riding with the others in an ambulance, en route to the hospital for any care they needed. All he wanted was to sleep. He wanted to rest more than anything. He was still covered in filth from his trek through the labyrinth, but he didn't care. Sleep. Just sleep. 

            His mother arrived at the hospital an hour after the ambulance pulled up and dropped them off. She sobbed as she threw her arms around him and thanked every positive force in the world that he was safe. His father showed the same joy when he arrived a half hour later. The other parents for the Digidestined, and some of their siblings, came as well.

            Matt was away at college, and so he did not show. TK felt a gap from his brother's absence, and a strange unease that his parents hadn't arrived in unison. 

            The doctors cleared him for release after the sun had risen. He went home, bathed and dressed in fresh clothes his parents had retrieved. He hadn't answered any questions, or told anyone what had happened that night. How could he? His mind still hadn't grasped the full scope of the devastation. He knew the facts, but somehow they didn't seem real to him. He knew the implications, but he couldn't bring himself to voice his fears. 

            When he arrived home, he fell face-first into his bed, asleep before he even settled. And then he dreamed.

            He was walking on a road of ash and two giant mounds lay behind him. One was big, the other huge. Both were vaguely humanoid, but their lines were cut so sharp that they didn't appear human. Ahead of him the path turned from ash to a deep crimson liquid. And there was another mound ahead, but it was formless. He knew it was there yet he could not see it. And beyond that mound, surrounded by the blood of thousands, was a figure without a face. This figure glowed with an aura that felt too familiar, too close. He glowed with dark hopes. 

            Beneath the man without a face lay several bodies. These figures did have faces. Davis, Ken, Yolei, Cody… and Kari. This blank-faced man stood upon their deaths and laughed. 

            "NOOO!" TK sat upright, nearly falling out of bed in the process. He sat there, panting for several minutes, trying to remember where he was and what had happened. For a brief moment he hoped that everything had been a dream and that no one had died. But then he saw the unhealed scratches and cuts, and felt the bandages given to him by the doctors, and he knew it hadn't been a dream.

            Moonlight crept past the blinds and gave very tiny illumination to the room. The air was much cooler, and TK felt much more aware than he had earlier. He'd slept the entire day.

            "Good evening." A voice startled him and he glanced around the room until he found the source. Sitting in the chair with his legs folded and his arms wrapped around one knee, the Digimon Emperor stared at TK through his black visor. "Sleep well?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Emperor's identity and his master plan will be revealed next chapter. Please watch for it!


	9. The Truth

Darkness Reborn

Chapter 9: The Truth    

by Silver

*Disclaimer: I don't claim any ownership to Digimon's creatures, characters, or story.*

            Author's note: Still alive, still writing (albeit slowly). This story's almost done after nearly two years of work. This chapter reveals a lot of the mystery about the new Emperor. Some might agree with it, but I'm expecting some outcries against my idea. I look forward to seeing how people react. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            "YOU!" TK hissed venom at the figure sitting across the way. 

            The Emperor held a finger to his lips. "Shh. You'll wake Patamon." The tiny Digimon still slumbered by the bed. Whatever held TK from lunging forward and striking his rival, it certainly wasn't fear of knocking his partner down. And yet something inside him kept him coiled back, even though his desire to rip the Emperor apart was overpowering. 

            "What are you doing here?"

            "A social call. I don't understand why you're not happy to see me. I can tell I've been on your mind quite a bit lately."

            "Don't give me that. Because of you… because of you…"

            "Yes?"

            "People and Digimon are dead!"

            "And?" 

            The innocence of that question stunned TK more than anything. "Don't you understand? _People_ are dead! They're not coming back. You've taken lives and ruined families!" 

            "Oh, that." The Emperor shrugged. "I'm creating a new world order, don't forget. That's not something I can accomplish by pussyfooting around everyone. The humans and Digimon who've lost their lives thus far are stepping stones to my reign of peace. I think they'd be willing to make such an exchange; for the sake of the survivors, of course." 

            "You don't even care!" 

            "You're right. I don't. I just thought that little rational might calm you down a little. But I see it's only made you angrier. That's even better."

            "Why?" TK's mind rushed through all the taunts and threats of the day. From the moment he and the Emperor had met, it had all been about infuriating TK. It was a painful process that had succeeded. TK had never known such loathing. "Why are you so obsessed with making me mad?" 

            "You honestly don't know? You haven't felt it?" The Emperor shook his head as if explaining a simple concept to a child. "I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet. Haven't you wondered what's been holding you back so far? What's keeping you from unleashing all your rage at my destructive Chaos Generals? Even in your deepest moments of hatred, you haven't lashed out once. Can you tell me why?"

            "… No." How did he know all this?"

            "It's fear. Fear from some tiny corner of your mind where you realize the truth, albeit subconsciously."

            "What truth?" 

            An expectant smile smeared that masked face. "If you truly wish to know, I suggest you gather your friends and meet me in Ferry Futo Park. You'll see five control spires arrayed in a semicircle. I'll be there."  

            "Why there?"

            "I thought you might like to meet there. So late at night, few people would be there, and you could have at me without fear of another massacre. Or are you willing to kill another couple thousand to get at me?"

            It was all just a game to him. All a twisted little game with people serving as a background; their deaths as inconsequential as a passing breeze. TK had seen such cruelty and disregard in Digimon, but never in a human. Not even the former Emperor nor Oikawa had been so apathetic towards their own kind. Everything in TK cried to strike the Emperor down now. End this battle with a clash between humans, not Digimon. Yet something still fixed him to the bed, staring at this thing before him. Why couldn't he attack?

            "I can feel it in you." chuckled the Emperor. "The hate. The loathing. The desire to go for the kill. I suggest you bring every ounce of that hatred with you to Ferry Futo. Otherwise this war will never end… Think fast!" He tossed a nearby pillow at TK, smothering his face for an instant. TK tossed the pillow away, and the Emperor was gone. 

            Dazed, confused, and more than a little afraid, TK shook his partner. "Patamon, wake up!" 

            "Ugh… five more minutes."

            "No! No more minutes. We need to get moving." TK was already out of bed and typing in a message to the others. They would all meet at the school yard before heading over to Ferry Futo in unison. Anyone who didn't arrive in the next half-hour would be getting some unexpected visitors. The Emperor was right about one thing. One way or another, this would end tonight!

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

             It took a full hour and a half to gather everyone into a group. The martial law order and curfew resulting from ChaosImperialdramon's attack slowed everyone down as they ducked past police and patrols, so it took everyone at least a half hour to arrive. And then there were personal problems that further slowed the group. Kari was still limping from her ankle injury and so Yolei had to support her while standing. Davis had slept right through his d-terminal's chime, making him the last to arrive. Even though TK could understand how tired everyone was, he couldn't help seething while he hustled the other Digidestined to the meeting place. "We don't have a lot of time. The Emperor wouldn't show his face unless he had something big planned!" 

            Davis yawned, "I know! I know! I can't help it if I'm a deep sleeper!" 

            TK nodded and forced his frustration to the back of his thoughts. Getting mad at his friends wouldn't help matters now. It never helped. The Emperor said to bring all his hatred to the meeting. TK had no intention of following those orders. But it was so hard _not _to hate. This was a creature—he couldn't consider him a human being anymore—who had slaughtered thousands and enslaved a whole world in one day. And he'd no sooner taken a breath then began the conquest of another. What next? TK had learned from experience that those who sought power craved more with each ounce they possessed. Ruling two worlds would never be enough. No matter what, the Emperor couldn't be given the opportunity to stake claim on another unsuspecting world. 

            Finally assembled, the Digidestined mounted their Armor or Champion Digimon and set for Ferry Futo Park. Their flight path took them far too close to the site of last night's battle. TK couldn't look at the crater—now surrounded by police and rescue crews—without feeling sick. In hindsight, it all seemed so inevitable. As the strength of the Digidestined's enemies grew, so too did the risk to the innocent. Each new threat placed people in even greater danger. Something like this was bound to happen, but that didn't make it any easier. For a moment, TK wondered if the Emperor was right to envision a world where he could cut off any threat before it developed. He quickly dismissed that notion when he remembered the price of that world. There would have to be many more deaths for such as state to arise. Below, people screamed at the sight of the Digimon passing overhead for fear of another massacre. Each of the Digimon flinched and added a burst of speed to pass the graveyard as quickly as possible. For the time being, it was best to put that memory in the back of everyone's mind. 

TK couldn't understand why the Emperor had chosen such a place for the final confrontation. A small island at the outskirts of the Odaiba, Ferry Futo served as a travel juncture to Tokyo. The park that lay beyond the ferry docks was primarily a means of welcoming tourists and travelers. Was there some sort of symbolism to this location? A welcoming of a new ruler perhaps? The Emperor craved power, but Ferry Futo had no great symbol of power therein. In truth, the reasoning was a moot point. It didn't matter what the Emperor was thinking. All that mattered was that he was still there, waiting. 

            The Digimon set down in the middle of the park, amid oddly quiet trees and plants. The entire park hovered quietly, awaiting the future. "Over there!" Ken pointed to several discarded rifles and military uniforms that lay in a mess near their landing point. The guards stationed here were gone. Deserted, or perhaps worse. TK felt the furry build inside of him as he realized the latter was likelier. More people dead; all for some warmonger. 

            The five spires noted as the meeting place were easy to spot. The night's sky could never be as dark as their polished surfaces. They stood perfectly erect, pointing towards the sky as if to indicate the worlds beyond that would be the Emperor's next conquest. There were no lights or auras surrounding them, yet the mere sight made the Digidestined shudder. For too long these towers had been the symbol of an enemy. Now they were symbols of death. 

            "EMPEROR!" TK shouted. "We're here. Show yourself?"

            Cody glanced around nervously. "Should we really call him out? It might be better to try to catch him off guard." 

            TK shook his head. "We're past the point of second-guess ourselves. He wants a showdown, let's give him one!" 

            "TK." Kari placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you angry. Remember what you told XV-mon and Stingmon. If we fight with anger, we'll make a mistake and we'll lose. We _can't_ lose." It still amazed TK how Kari's touch could drain all the hate from him. But the Emperor's laugh brought it right back. 

            "Welcome, TK! Welcome to the final phase of this war. I must admit I'm almost sorry it has to end here." The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. There was no one other than the Digidestined present, yet that voice had been far too close to be a amplifier, and too clear for a recording.

            "Where are you?" demanded TK.

            "My, my. Such anger. I see you followed my advice." Still no sign of the voice's origin. "It's so nice to finally see you expressing all that rage. It's been hidden too long." 

            "The only rage I feel is caused by everything you've done!" 

            "Of course it is. Surly the noble knight feels no anger over his past. No sadness from his parents' divorce, or his separation from his brother? Honestly, TK, you really should be more honest with yourself."

            This was starting to scare him. This Emperor knew too much about him. He knew things that TK hadn't revealed to anyone. "Stop hiding and come out!" 

            "Um, TK?" Davis asked. "Who are you talking to?"

            "The Emperor. Can't you hear him?" 

            Yolei shook her head. "We… didn't hear anything."  
            "Deaf and dumb. How sad for them." The Emperor cackled. 

            TK whirled, the voice now more discernable. He stepped to the spires, glancing around them to see if the Emperor hid behind one. No one. "Stop playing games and show yourself!" 

            "TK, you're starting to scare us." Ken said hesitantly. "Are you hearing something we aren't?"

            "How can you not hear him? He's here. It sounds like he's standing right next to me."

            "Not next to you, in you. I'm right here." TK glanced at the control spire's dull reflection, expecting to see himself. Indeed he was there in that black slate, but with a visor over his face… and a black cape. The Emperor grinned back at his hanging jaw like a distorted mirror. "See? You found me! Well done!" He applauded mockingly. 

            TK took several horrified steps back, and the Emperor's image shrank as he pulled away. "Everyone, what do you see in that spire's surface?"

            Cody looked from TK to the Spire and back again. "I just see our reflections. What do you see?"

            TK's mouth wouldn't move. Probably because his mind couldn't accept what lay before him. The Emperor waltzed around the group in the reflection's image, like a stand-in for TK. He eyed each Digidestined closely and made either a sneer or a dismissive gesture. "These 'friends' of yours are so bizarre. You have a fifteen year old who acts like a ten year-old and a thirteen year-old who acts older than all of you. I never did understand how you could have him for DNA digivolution partner." He motioned to Yolei. "Then there's this cross between Snow White and Attila the Hun. How do you manage to stand near her? I might fear for my life because of his barbarian. 

"And here we have our former Digimon Emperor. Do you think he still remembers that pounding to the face you gave him? I hope so. It'd give him something else to be habitually depressed about." The Emperor didn't say anything about Kari. Eyeing TK once again, he grinned and reached for his mask. "You're probably wondering how I know all this. How can I know the small resentments and discomforts you hide from all, even yourself? Well, let's have a grand unveiling, shall we?" The eyes he revealed didn't belong on that face. They were cold angry; devoid of any love or compassion. There wasn't a spark of humanity in the eyes of the Emeperor's… no… TK's face. "Figured it out yet?"

            "What… what is this?" TK could only vaguely hear his friends asking him questions and shaking him. "Who are you?"

            "I'm you. Or, rather, I was a part of you—emphasis on _was_."

            "No…"

            "Oh, here we go. I've seen this coming for days now. I reveal the truth, you deny it completely. We spend half the night arguing while all your friends start to think you're crazy. Sounds pretty boring." The Emperor pondered. "I know! Let's liven things up. Time to show you the _real_ purpose of my control spires."

            "Real purpose?" TK echoed dumbly.

            "TK," Kari placed a hand on his shoulder. "What real purpose? What are you talking about?" 

            "The Emperor… he's going to show the real purpose of the controls spires. At least, that's what he's saying." 

            "Saying where?" Davis looked around furiously. "What's the deal here? Why does TK get to have it out with the guy while all anchor the ground?" 

            Yolei waved her hand. "And what's with this 'real purpose?' We already know what control spires do."

            "We knew what _my_ spires did." Ken corrected. "These aren't your normal control spires."  
            "Oh, come on, Ken. You and I both know this guys just copying your-eek!" Yolei fell on her bottom as the ground shook under the Digidestined. Slowly, the spires began to ascend, ripping up patches of concrete all around them. TK could only stare in awe as more and more of the obsidian monolith vaulted past him. The spires seemed to stretch into infinity, until TK noticed the darkness materializing about him.

            Suddenly, he wasn't a teenager anymore. Now he was only about eight, standing beside Tai and the others, watching Myotismon's fog finally dissipate. But where there should have been clear skies and peace, a new conflict had arisen. Here with Kari, Davis, and the others, that same threat appeared before him. The Digital World hung over his head, shinning with a strange light far more unnerving than before. Yet for all this similarity, there was a critical difference. The Digital World, still slave to the Emperor, was far darker than he remembered; and that darkness was reaching for him. Small specks of black, like tiny voids in the lush landscape, steadily grew in size until he could make out their polished reflective surfaces.

            "Control spires!" Cody voiced everyone's thoughts.

            Ken nodded dully, horror striking his face. "We saw it… that pattern in the Digital World… The control spires were always designed to shift the Digital World's borders, but this…" 

            "He's so close. But even an idiot can come close to a bull's-eye if he fires enough times." The Emperor still mocked TK from within the spire. "These spires don't just shift the borders. They rip them apart!" At that moment, the spires collided. Every spire on Earth smashed into its counterpart in the Digital World. Not one spire stood alone in the gathering of towers. Each one aligned perfectly with its other-worldly brother. And as their tips pressed together, they melted into one another. TK had barely begun to grasp what was happening when it was suddenly ended. Now there was no differentiating Earth spires from Digital World spires. Black columns bridged the distance between the two worlds, completely indistinguishable from one another. Now the sky looked as if it was barred with darkness; a prison for the populace of two realities. Never before had TK felt so trapped. 

            Kari's scream did nothing to relax his fears. Everyone whirled around to see her sunken to her knees, clutching her head. "No… NO! Stop it!" TK was about to demand what the Emperor had done to her when the ocean cried out. It wasn't so much of a roar as a moan. Something was coming. Something horrible. TK could feel his insides sinking, as if all the happiness in his life was draining away, leaving only a void. He'd felt this before. This oppression… this emptiness…

            The black waters of the Dark Ocean swept over the shores and flooded the entire park, encircling everyone's ankles. Kari continued to scream as the darkness radiated against her crest of light. More than anything TK wanted to run to her side and comfort her, but he was still transfixed by the thing with his face in the control spire.

            "You did this."

            "Actually _we_ did this. You and I." 

            "What do you mean? I had nothing to do with this." The other Digidestined were shouting at him, but he couldn't focus on their words.

            "You had everything to do with this. You made me. You gave me a body to help accomplish my designs. Look around you. This is all _your_doing." The Emperor swept his arm, taking in the whole city. His gaze focused especially on the crater from the pervious night's battle. "Every death is a result of your hate." 

            "What do you-"

            "Bwwaaaahahahahaha!" A mad cackle rang from all around and yet had no origin. TK glanced around, hoping to suddenly see the Emperor standing before him in the real world; not a dark reflection but a person of flesh and bone. What he found was a pair of leathery wings. 

            They slipped out of the black water's surface as naturally as a fish skims through a river. They were wrapped tightly around some sort of object, protecting it from the wetness and obscuring it from everyone's view. The body must have been enormous for the wings kept rising to the sky as if to challenge the control spires for dominance of the heavens. 

            Small patches of crimson robe fluttered towards the bottom of the wings, but it wasn't until TK saw the tips of black boots suspended just above the water's surface that he began to recognize those agonizingly familiar wings. "Daemon?"  The other Digidestined gasped collectively, confirming TK's suspicions. 

            "Very good!" The wings flapped open, showering everyone with black liquid. Behind those wings, two steely blue eyes gazed out from a blood-red cowl. A pair of horns arced upwards, almost surpassing the claw-tipped wings in height. This was figure almost forgotten by the Digidestined, having be absent for almost five years. TK glanced from his dark reflection to Daemon, wondering how these two monsters could be connected. Daemon stretched his arms. "Ah, free at last. It's been a while, Digidestined." He held up a finger with a small flame flickering at his nail. "I still owe you a funeral pyre."

            "Fat chance!" Davis stepped forward. "We're going to kick you right back where you came from."

            Ken joined his friend, "How did you get back here?" 

            Daemon chuckled, obviously unimpressed by Davis and Ken's bravado. "Why, I owe it all to TK. Or rather, the TK within TK." Everyone looked to TK, hoping for some sign of clarification. He couldn't give any. "Looks like I'll have to spell it all out for you." Daemon hovered towards them, taking great pleasure in his oration. "Do you know what life is like in the Dark Ocean? It's an unending stream of depression, anger, and fear. All those emotions come from you humans and flood the world like these black waters. It was the cruelest prison you could have sent me to, but I was not overwhelmed by these feelings. Any world I dwell in must be made my own, and the Dark Ocean is no exception. But the current head of that dimension is rather stubborn, and he has a large army of servants to throw at me, wearing me down to the point where I'm not strong enough to face him. 

            "For a time I feared that I would be trapped in that dark place, forced to be number two on the food chain. But then I began to learn, mostly through trial and error. I learned how to access the darkness within people through my own will. Thus I searched for someone who could be my aid in escape; and I found the most ironic ally in the mind of one of my captors." He fixed his frozen gaze on TK. "I never would have guessed the Digidestined of Hope harbored such dark feelings. You're a very good actor." 

            "No… NO! That's not true!" 

            "Yes it is." The Emperor now added to TK's misery. "Time to face reality, TK. How else can you explain the fact that you're talking to a control spire right now? All the other Digidestined think you're going crazy, but we know better. We're having this little heart to heart in your mind, just as we've done so many times before. I'm you; or at least I was a part of you. I've be come a bit more 'self-sufficient' in the last few months."

            Daemon must have been able to perceive the Emperor as well, for he picked up at exactly the right moment. "When I searched your soul, Takeru 'TK' Takashi, I found a deep core of anger and sadness, buried in the deepest level of your very being. It was fun show: the divorce of your parents, the loss of your brother, the terror of your encounters in the Digital World, and the death of your partner. And then there were all those hidden resentments. All those morbid feelings towards those you consider to be your friends. Your misery and hidden hatred actually brought me some pleasure. I was entertained for weeks! It was only after I began to lose interest in being a passive observer that I decided to take a more active role. 

            "I reached into your soul through the Dark Ocean, and gave your darkness a consciousness. And from the Dark Ocean itself came manifestations of your own emotions." 

            The Emperor took over. "ChaosWarGreymon was far too much like BlackWarGreymon for your tastes: a maverick of darkness who tore the Digital World apart for his own agenda. You saw darkness in that spawn of a control spire and you hated him for it. But then he sacrificed himself to protect both worlds, proving that your judgment of him was wrong. Deep down, where you refused to admit the truth, you hated him for that."

            Daemon chuckled at TK's horror and bewilderment. "The latter two Generals are a bit more subtle in their representation. ChaosImperialdramon is your rivalry and your resentment personified."

            TK shuddered, but tried to remain focused. "I suppose you're referring to Ken? I don't buy it." 

            "No, not our former Emperor." The Emperor waved to his uniform. "I have that covered with this wardrobe. ChaosImperialdramon is a representation of your feelings towards _another_ Digidestined."

            Being the evolved form of a fusion Digimon, there was only one other Digidestined the Emperor could be referring to. "You mean Davis?" Not possible.

            "What about me?" Davis looked around rapidly, trying to catch up to a conversation he couldn't even hear.

            Daemon laughed yet again. "There's something your dear friend TK has been hiding from you, Digidestined. You have no idea of the grudges and resentments that dwell beneath his awareness. Especially those for you, goggle-head." He pointed to Davis.

            "You're lying!" TK shouted. "Davis is my best friend!"

            "And your biggest rival. Think about it, all of you. TK has more experience in the Digital World than any other Digidestined, yet Davis always manages to steal the spotlight and assume leadership. Tai gave the title of leader to this young upstart even though he didn't know a thing about Digimon at the time. You all saw TK as the unofficial leader for at least half your adventures. And whenever the time came to make a command decision, who had the groups interests in mind? Surely not this hotheaded fool who charged head-first into danger every time."

            "Who are you calling a fool?" Davis shook his fist. "We beat Kimeramon because I was willing to take on something dangerous!"

            "But were you thinking of the groups safety when you made that charge? TK certainly was. I've watched that scene in his mind at least a dozen times. There he was, trying to advocate retreat to protect his friends and partner, while another fool refused to see the obvious gap in power between your Digimon and Kimeramon. He put himself and the rest of you at risk all because he was too stubborn to pull back and try again. That's how you saw it, TK."

            TK shook his head. "We beat Kimeramon _because_ of Davis." 

            "Dumb luck. What would this loose cannon have done without the golden digiegg? His foolishness and luck stole the spotlight. From TK's perspective, Davis was only thinking of his own ambitions while TK himself had the group's safety as a priority. Davis stole the glory even though he made the biggest mistake, just like always." 

            Daemon sighed as all the Digidestined protested. "Oh, give it a rest. It's not like the rest of you are any different. I've looked into all your souls and found the exact same hidden thoughts buried at one level or another. All you humans harbor such feelings; the only difference is some of you choose to act on them while others do not. In any case, the point is moot. TK's dark side is all that I need for my conquest. With both the Digital World and the human realm in my grasp, Dragomon will not have enough power to deny me, and I shall bring _three_ worlds under my heel. Now that I am free, I shall fulfill my end of the bargain."

            "What bargain?" demanded Yolei. 

            The Emperor addressed TK. "Being a former part of your persona, I have no body of my own. I've been using you as a time-share these last few weeks to set up my plans while you slept. But I'm tired of this arrangement. It's time for you to break that barrier of denial in your mind and act on your anger. Give it up, TK. I'm your true nature. Admit it."

            "No. You're not a part of me." 

            "You've felt me beside you more times than you'd care to recall. I was your strength when you battered the Digimon Emperor. I was the force that helped you break free of MaloMyotismon's illusion. I kept you strong against the Chaos Generals. All your hatred, all that drives you, comes from me. I make you strong, but constantly deny me! Just accept your situation and embrace me. Together, we'll create the world you've always dreamed of!"

            "I don't want to control other people!" 

            "You want _peace_! And the only way to gain true peace is to deny people the choice to behave with violence! I understand that free will is a deterrent to eternal peace, so I'm willing to do what has to be done. As long as people and Digimon can choose to kill one another, no one will be safe. We can make people safe if you swallow your fear and admit that you have to get your hands dirty to get the job done!" 

            "NO!" 

            The Emperor sighed. "Fine. I wanted to at least offer you the chance. We could have become one again and been stronger for it, but now I'm going to take control."

            TK scoffed. "Just try it. What can a reflection do?"

            "I'm more than a mirror for you. I'm in your mind and soul, active and connected to my creations." He looked at Kari. "And I told you, I'll make you angry by scaring her." He raised a finger, pointing to towering black columns. Each of the five arrayed before the Digidestined crackled with a dark energy, creating an unnatural lightning storm. TK stood transfixed as the purple lightning danced across the surfaces of the spires and converged in the center, collecting into a massive ball of sizzling energy that made the air shimmer. 

            His fascination turned to horror as a bolt of lightning lanced out and struck Kari in the chest, throwing her to the ground. She opened her mouth but she had no air with which to scream. Instead she splashed into the black water and curled into a ball, trying to block out the pain. 

            "KARI!" TK's cry echoed with the others'. He wanted to run to her and check her wounds, but he instead turned a hateful glare on the Emperor. 

            "Not bad, eh? I'd say she's pretty scared now. But you're not angry enough." Another burst of energy collected around the center spire and fired at Kari. The black water conducted the blast through her body, increasing the pain and the pitch of her scream. Her body thrashed as her muscles acted without orders from her mind. The current subsided, and Kari lay twitching on the ground, crying almost inaudibly. The others had been thrown back the blast's force. Davis was already recovering and moving to Kari's side. Everyone else followed closely. But TK continued to glare at the Emperor. 

            "Stop it!" 

            "No. Get _mad_!" Another blast, this time it struck all the Digidestined. 

            "STOP!" 

            "I told you to get mad!" More lightning. TK could smell burning now. "I'm going to kill all of them now. That way I'm sure I'll be free. Watch and remember how your own anger and resentment killed them. Think on that for a long time." The energy began to collect again. 

            TK looked at his friends, lying limp and hurt in the water. Both Digimon and Digidestined had shielded Kari with their bodies, lessening the blow to her already weakened body. Now they all stood at the precipice of death. Beyond them lay another mark of death: ChaosImperialdramon's crater. And above them hung ChaosWarGreymon's graveyard, a barren brown patch that carved into what should have been a lush forest. So many deaths. Some Digimon, some human. Some would return in a few years, others were gone forever. Time slowed as TK looked from one death spot to the next, trying to absorb that it was all his doing. He'd always known he was angry. He knew he suppressed some of his emotions for fear that he'd act on them. Anger, hatred, sorrow; nothing good ever seemed to come from them. Yet not acting on them had only caused them to fester and grow, evolving into this thing before him that had taken so many lives. TK had hated ChaosWarGreymon and ChaosImperialdramon from their murders, but they were also a product of his buried self. _He_ had killed all those people. He was responsible for all those deaths. 

            The guilt weighed on him, threatening to crush his heart and break his body in two. He was a knight, trying to protect two worlds; but he was also a devil, for he was the spawning ground for these creatures of darkness. He hated darkness, and hate made the darkness stronger. He had given birth to a new Emperor, and paved a road of death for Daemon's freedom. All his doing; all his fault. The sorrow and guilt swelled in him, pushing at his ribs and belly, filling his whole body to the bursting point. 

            "… stop it."

            "Why should I?"

            "Because you're me. And you know I don't want anyone to die."

            "Wrong. Part of you wanted this cruel world—and the people within it—to disappear. I'm that part, and I don't listen to you anymore, my weaker former-half." 

            "Stop-it-now…"

            "Or what?"

            "I told you to stop." The energy was at the bursting point again. 

            "That's all you can do." The Emperor spat. "You're a spineless weakling who can do nothing more than make idle threats and make short-term repairs to a weak and broken world. You're too pathetic to ever accomplish what needs to be done. Now, say goodbye to those fools you called friends. It's time to remove one more set of useless people."

            "I TOLD YOU TO STOP!" The world vanished into white as TK lunged forward with his fist held out, aimed at the Emperor's forehead. As he struck the spire's surface, he felt his bones cracking from the strain as the distorted mirror's face shattered. But beyond that clean glass-like surface was darkness; darkness that swept around him and began to seep inward. And TK new after that moment of blind rage that the Emperor had won. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Another Digimon fan once described TK as a paladin, or perfect human. I've never agreed with that view. Perfect characters are boring. The main aspect of TK's persona that I enjoy is that hidden spark of anger he sometimes shows. It makes you wonder what's really going on inside his head. 

I'm sure many people will not agree with my take on TK's character, and I welcome such disagreement. I'm very curious to know how people view TK, and how they think this chapter portrays him and the other Digidestined. So, any reviews would be much appreciated. Part of the reason I started interacting with other fans was to discover their take on the show.

There are only about two more chapters after this. I'll try to get them done soon. 


	10. Freed Heart

Darkenss Reborn

Chapter 10: Freed Heart

by Silver

*I do not own nor do I even wish to own any rights to Digimon. Seriously, what would I want with rights to a show that's finished its run?*

            Author's Note: It's been nearly two years since I started this fic. I stopped to focus on "The Outcast" for a time, then struggled to complete this story. I know that this is not by best work by any stretch of the imagination, but I am proud of it nonetheless. 

But I need to be done. This is the second-to-last chapter. I'll soon be finished. I want to thank everyone for their patience with this story and their faithful reviews. Your input helps me keep going. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Her insides were still sparking while the world returned from a blurry mess. Kari had never felt such pain before, even when she hurt her leg. The current from the control spires, mixed with the conductive Dark Ocean water, had nearly killed her and everyone else. Everyone except TK, who stood across the way, leaning on his fist against a control spire's surface. Something was very wrong with him. She'd been afraid when he started to shout at a voice that no one else could hear, and then terrified as Daemon explained his grand designs using TK's subconscious as his tool. But now there was a feeling to TK, an aura that didn't belong there. She'd known TK half her life. She'd visited with him a few times after their first adventure in the Digital World, and when they'd become classmates they spent a great deal of time together. He was a familiar in her life, but the boy standing across from her did not feel at all like TK Takashi.

            He began to chuckle a dark, cynical laughing that rose to a cackle. He threw his hands up in the air and whirled on the Digidestined, an unnatural hatred across his face. "YES! Finally, I am in control! Full control! I am free!" 

            "TK?" Kari pushed herself to her knees. There was not enough strength to stand.

            The thing with TK's face smirked. "Just the looks. I suppose you'd recognize me more this way." The water around him began to swirl and splash, climbing around him. He vanished behind a whirling vortex of dark water. When it fell, TK was no longer standing there. Kari couldn't connect the figure she now saw with that of her best friend. Daemon had said it, but she couldn't believe it. TK _couldn't_ be the Digimon Emperor she now saw. 

            "Recognize me now?" 

            "No way." Davis had recovered faster than the others. "You're just a big faker, like those Chaos Generals. There's no way you're TK! Now where is he?" 

            The Emperor mockingly rubbed his chin. "Oh, yeah. Where is the guy who was standing here two seconds ago? I guess he magically teleported to nowhere, eh Dufus? Face it; the TK you knew is gone. I'm in charge now. And now that he's out of the way I have no need to keep you alive any longer. The earlier Chaos Generals were meant to keep you occupied, but this next one was specifically designed with your deaths in mind. Patamon, come here." 

            "No!" The small Digimon hovered near the Digidestined. "You're not my friend TK. I'm not listening to you." 

            "Fine. Then we'll do this my way." The Emperor reached down and swirled his hand through the black water. As he rose, a thin line of black trailed in his fingertips. The black cord twisted around itself and grew points along its outer surface. "Let me introduce all of you to my most powerful General. Pain and loss embodied: ChaosAngemon!" He lashed out with the spiked dark spiral, its slender form flying forward like a whip, faster than Patamon could react. The slave device wrapped itself around his midsection and wound its way up his body before anyone could intercept it. 

            Patamon's eyes flashed red just before his body darkened to match his surroundings. With a glow of evil that made Kari's stomach clench, Patamon's form grew and expanded until it was shaped like a man, but far too large to be human. The being known as ChaosAngemon was an even greater mockery of its namesake than the other Chaos Generals. Whereas Angemon had been clean and pure, this thing was tattered and wretched. Its carved iron helmet resembled a skull, minus the lower jaw. The gray body suite was tattered and ripped in many areas, with crimson ribbons running along his right arm and leg, and a bloody sash hanging from his waist. Six raven-like wings held the Digimon above the ground while he stared expressionless at the Digidestined. 

            "This is my strongest General, for he was created from a real Digimon. You won't defeat him as you could my other Generals."

            Daemon clapped. "Splendid. Now put him to use and annihilate these nuisances!" Kari caught the scowl crossing the Emperor's face and realized there was more to this partnership than first seemed. 

            "That does it!" Davis snarled. "Veemon, let's show this faker how it's done!" 

            "Right, Veemon digivolve to… XV-mon!" The winged dragon rushed the Emperor his fist cocked back. "Bring back TK, now!" 

            Kari couldn't fully see what happened next. One moment, ChaosAngemon hovered so close she considered lunging for the spiral around his neck and pulling it off. But now he'd materialized before the Emperor, intercepting XV-mon's assault with a staff that looked as if it'd been carved from rotting wood. Despite its frail appearance, the staff demonstrated brutal force as ChaosAngemon sunk it into XV-mon's belly. Davis' partner groaned and leaned forward, and ChaosAngemon spun to smash the staff against his opponent's skull, ending the confrontation with a kick to the chest before the Champion could even fall to the ground. XV-mon tumbled back, and Veemon landed on the ground. Davis cradled his partner, asking if he was okay.

            The Emperor laughed. "ChaosImperialdramon and ChaosWarGreymon were merely distractions meant to keep you off balance. I intentionally added flaws to their personalities to give you a chance to destroy them. But ChaosAngemon has no weakness for he has no persona of his own. He is a mindless machine designed to follow my orders. And my orders are to kill all of you!" 

            ChaosAngemon flew forward and smashed his staff at the center of the group. All the Digidestined and their partners scrambled out of the way. The force of the shockwave still tossed them like leafs in the wind. 

            "Hawkmon digivolve to… Aquillamon!" Yolei's partner transformed into a titanic horned eagle. "Yolei, it's time to see if we can DNA digivolve."  
            Yolei nodded and looked at Kari. "Ready to try."

            "Y-yes." Or maybe. She couldn't be sure. Everything was happening to so fast, more than she could take in. She had hated the Emperor for all the death and cruelty he'd caused, yet now he turned out to be her best friend? It didn't seem true, but something insider her heart knew that it couldn't be otherwise. 

No matter how painful it was, she'd have to retaliate. TK had protected her in both the Digital World and in the catacombs beneath the city. He'd watched out for her and kept her safe. Now he was relying on her to free him. She would. Kari vowed to fight and free TK from his own sadness, even if it meant her life. She held up her D3, "Gatomon, DNA digivolve!" 

"Aquillamon…"

"Gatomon…"  
            "DNA digiovolve to… Sylphimon!" A burst of energy merged to the two Digimon into a form almost as tall as ChaosAngemon. Sylphimon stood upon Aquillamon's two talons, but his upper chest bore the white body suite and claws of Gatomon. A metallic visor obscured his eyes, but Sylphimon had no trouble aiming his attack. "Static Force!" A blast of red energy sprung from Sylphimon's hands, but it never hit its mark. ChaosAngemon held up his own fist to intercept the blast.

"Hand of Chaos." His voice was monotone and cold as stone on a snowy mountainside. There wasn't a hint of emotion behind it. The beam of dark energy that lashed out from his hand held far more force than any word ChaosAngemon spoke. It cut through the Static Force blast and struck Sylphimon in the chest, toppling the hybrid. 

Veemon winced and got back to his feet. "Davis, let's golden armor divivolve."

"Are you sure you can fight?" 

"I got a choice?" 

"He has a point." Ken signaled his readiness with Wormmon.

"Golden armor energize!" 

"Veemon golden armor digivolve to… Magnamon!"

"Wormmon golden armor digivolve to… Hypermon!" The twin golden Digimon joined the fray, but had no more luck than Sylphimon. Even Ankylomon assaulted his fusion partner, but ChaosAngemon dodged and retaliated against all their attacks. He moved with a subtlety and precision that had been lost on the other two Generals. Without an ego or persona, this Chaos General was truly flawless… and terrifying. 

Daemon yawned. "This battle bores me, and I'm missing the destruction downtown. It's time to see how the concentration is going." _He _had enough ego to spare. 

The Emperor nodded. "ChaosAngemon, return to me after you have finished off these fools." Daemon scooped the Emperor up and the two flew off towards the city. It wasn't until she tracked them that Kari noticed the unusual light from the city, and the noise. Fires were springing up all over Odaiba, possibly even the world. And those sounds were appallingly familiar. She'd heard them as ChaosImperialdramon's blast had decimated an entire city section, and as ChaosWarGreymon had torched the Digital World. It was the cries of people in pure terror. There were thousands of voices raised in panic and fear, along with the roars of something not human. The Emperor's designs were coming to fruition. It seemed as if the Digiestined had already lost. 

"Kari," Davis touched her shoulder, snapping her out of her gloom. "We gotta move back and give the Digimon more room." Indeed Ken, Yolei, and Cody were already rushing farther back while ChaosAngemon continued to batter the Digimon all about Ferry Futo Park. Kari leaned on Davis' shoulder and limped towards the relative safety of the trees. 

"Hey, hey hey!" A high-pitched voiced called to them from the other group. A small ball of bright green bounced besides Yolei.

"Datirimon?" Kari couldn't believe it. "How'd you get here?" 

            The tiny Digimon hopped up and down in a panic. "I came with other Digimon! The Emperor took all the Digimon and brought 'em here! The Digital World's empty! We're in trouble, trouble, trouble!" 

            Ken nodded. "This is starting to make sense. First the Emperor conquers the Digital World, then links the two worlds and uses the enslaved Digimon to conquer us." 

            Cody added, "And then we become cannon fodder in a war against the Dark Ocean… and TK stays the Digimon Emperor." 

            "That wasn't TK!" Davis protested. "There's no way-"

            "Davis, it _was_ TK." Kari felt her heart break as she said it. "I know it's impossible to believe, but that really was TK back there. It wasn't a copy, or an illusion, or mind control. That was TK." 

            "TK'd never do something like this." 

            Datirimon said, "It's all that Daemon guy's fault! He turned TK bad! And now he's collapsing both worlds?" 

            "Collapsing?" 

            Yolei pointed up. "Yeah. The, uh, sky is falling." Kari looked up with the other and noticed that the Digital World seemed to be hanging lower in the sky than before. Even as she watched it looked as if the two worlds would sandwich together, crushing everyone in between. "Any idea why that's happening?" 

            Datirimon shook his head. "Nope." 

            "We need a plan." 

            "How 'bout this: we free Patamon, then kick Daemon's butt and free TK!" 

            "Brilliant, Davis. And how do we do that?" 

            "I'll do it." Kari said. Everyone stared at her, and she couldn't blame them. "TK—or the Emperor side of himself—is controlling everything that's happening. Daemon entrusted too much power to TK. If we can free him, I think we can stop all this. Then we can use our combine strength against Daemon." 

            Yolei said, "Remember last time? Imperialdramon, Sylphimon, and Shakouamon couldn't beat Daemon." 

            "But if we can free TK, the Digimon will be liberated, and we'll have a whole army on our side. Even Daemon can't defeat every Digimon at once." 

            "Okay," Ken nodded, "sounds solid enough. But how do we free TK?" 

            "He and I are very old friends. I'm sure I can remind him of his better self." 

            "I'm going too." Davis stepped forward. "TK and I are buds, after all." 

 "You don't hate TK; even after everything Daemon said?" 

            "Naw. It's not like I haven't had a grudge against him myself. I just never expected him to have all that stuff hidden." 

            Yolei agreed. "It's always the quiet ones. I'll have to get him to chill out after all this is over." 

            Cody said, "He is my DNA digivolution partner, after all. I need to support him now more than ever." 

            Kari turned to Ken, who probably had the most reason to hate TK. All that was happening was a mirror of Ken's former reign. Those scars had to run deep. Ken seemed to read her mind. "I swore I wouldn't let this new Emperor control my feelings. I won't let him ruin my friendship with TK either. I know what it's like to have to combat a dark side."        Kari smiled. She'd been afraid that Daemon's narration had driven a wedge between the Digidestined.

            "Okay, less talking, more doing." Davis led the team in a full-hearted cheer. Despite the situation, everyone was still committed to the fight. "Cody, can Ankylomon give us a ride while the others fight ChaosAngemon?" Cody nodded and had his partner evolve to his Champion form. 

            "He can protect us from the slave Digimon, but what about Daemon?" 

            "We'll… deal with that when we have to." Davis grinned, signaling he had no idea. He and Kari mounted the Dinosaur Digimon while Daitirmon and the others remained behind to battle their lost friend. 

            This night was more uncertain than any other. If they failed, three worlds would be lost; and even if they won they might never recover TK. But Kari felt the others' strength and took confidence in their resolution. One way or another, this war would end tonight; and she fully intended to see it through with all her friends and loved ones surviving. 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            The city prostrated itself before him, falling to his will faster than any other conquest in human or Digimon history. Far below a group of Tyrannomon were  herding the city's inhabitants, using their Nova Flame attacks to force them down the street while Veggimon used their rope-like arms to capture and drag any stragglers. Farther ahead various Digimon stood guard over the ever-growing prison crowd. Smaller sized Digimon passed among the captives, listening for plans of escape or other possible surprises. Not that it mattered since every Champion and Ultimate in the Digital World was standing ready to recapture any escapee. This was but one of a million scenes going on across the world. 

            America, France, Germany, Africa, Russia, Britain; all countries fell before his might simultaneously. How he wished he could see the faces of the international Digidestined when they learned that one from their own ranks had engineered their destruction. 

            With the barriers gone, the Emperor's slaves had stormed every major population center without warning, catching Earth's defenders off-guard. The Digidestined's own partners were mostly enslaved now, and a majority of the world's military stations also fell under the Emperor's grip. Even if a few stragglers managed to mount a resistance, there wasn't a force powerful enough to resist every Digimon in creation. Earth would be his by dawn, and then it was on to the Dark Ocean. And from there… the unknown stretched before him, waiting for a rule. Peace would come to all dimensions under his rule. 

            Already the control spires pulled the two worlds closer together. When they clashed, there would be no differentiation between the two. There would only be one world he needed to rule, and that world would expand with each conquest and merger he orchestrated. Eventually, every layer of existence would be under his heel.  

            Daemon surveyed the scene as if it were his own creation. The fool. "You've carried out my designs well. I never thought a human would be so useful." 

            "I've spent too much time planning to fail now." The Emepror tried to keep his voice level. No sense causing a confrontation before he was standing on something solid. 

            "And just how do you plan to control these humans? I don't see any dark rings around their necks." 

            "Dark rings only work on Digimon. There's no magical way to enslave a human mind so quickly." 

            Daemon narrowed his ice-blue eyes. "Then what use will they serve in my new army?"

            The Emperor waved his hand. "We'll keep the children hostage and send their parents and families to fight. Anyone who refuses will forfeit the lives of their offspring. Some will still refuse, of course, but there will be enough people willing to obey that they can serve as cannon fodder. We'll still have a fighting force while raising the next generation to accept a different leadership." Daemon merely nodded. Arrogant creature; it couldn't even acknowledge its ignorance of such important planning. _That's why you're not fit to rule_. 

            They finally set down atop a building overlooking the plaza where humans were being confined. So late at night, many had been dragged from their homes in their pajamas or less. Some were wounded and burnt, and here or there a fatality occurred. But such was the nature of a conquest. Anyone afraid to get their hands dirty had no right to undertake such a venture. Humans were cowardly by nature. Their so called "evolution" had weakened their resolve to survive. Feed a man a burger and he would compliment its delicious taste. Tell him how that burger was made and he wouldn't take another bite of the sumptuous meal. If humans couldn't handle slaughtering a lesser animal to survive, they could never grasp true peace. Democracy pursued peace, but defeated itself in allowing people choice. Crowds, such as the one before him, were misguided and panic-plagued. Only an individual could choose the right path to peace. Dictators and Tyrants often followed this much simpler path, but always thought too small and failed to crush all opposition at once. The Emperor was different. He knew the road to true peace, was willing to sacrifice a few for the good of the many, and had the means to bring about his order in one swift stroke. Three worlds would be his in less than two weeks. 

            Daemon chuckled. "Such an accomplishment. I have now surpassed any other Digimon. Devimon couldn't hold an island, Myotismon lost his hold here on Earth, and the Dark Masters were invincible only so long as they remained unchallenged. I have outdone all of them."

            Strange how this sounded so much like the Emperor's thoughts; but with one crucial difference: this wasn't Daemon's plan. "What is all this talk about you? I am the architect of this war." 

            Daemon gave him the look of a scientist studying a new type of bug. "It was always my plan to create an ally from this world to do my bidding. Your schemes are a component of my greater design." 

            "Your design ended with my creation. Everything from there on has been mine. You have no claim to my accomplishment." 

            Fire formed at Daemon's fingertips. He leveled all of them at the Emperor. "Watch your words, human. You had free reign only because I allowed it. I no longer need you and it is only through my good grace that you continue to survive." 

            The Emperor chuckled. "What do I have to fear from a Digimon who won't even show his face?" 

            "You wish to see my true self?" Now Daemon was mocking with laughter. "I doubt any mere human could stand the sight."

            "Try me."

            "Very well." Daemon reached up with one massive claw and tossed off his cowl and robe. Perhaps a normal person would have been terrified by the sight of Daemon's massive body, covered in fur from his head to his knees. A bare patch of blue skin on his chest featured a design of blood-red points. His hands and feet were abnormally large, and each digit ended in a long red claw. His mouth gaped wide, displaying all his knife-sharp teeth. Those eyes were soulless and still possessed that steely blue devoid of any pity or compassion. Yes, someone else would have screamed or cringed at the sight of Daemon's true self. But the Emperor was born from fear and pain. He did not shy away from such sights; he embraced them as a test of courage and a reminder that not even the emotions of ordinary people could hinder him. 

            "Is that all?" 

            Daemon grinned, once again showing the precision of his teeth. "You've grown very bold since I first created you. I think you need a reminder who is master." The flames returned to his fingers. 

            "Correction. _You_ need a reminder." With a snap of the fingers, several dark spirals floated over Daemon's body. Each spire was studded with small spikes running along the outer coil. Such modifications were needed to control Mega-level Digimon. Daemon barely had time to register their presence before the spiked spirals dove down and lashed around his wrists, legs, and neck. He howled and clawed at the restraints, glaring at the Emperor all the while. The Emperor smirked. "My plan calls for the enslavement of _all_ Digimon, yourself included. You'll make an excellent front-line soldier in my army." 

            Daemon aimed his palm at the Emperor. "Don't bother. Those spires are programmed to ensure none of my slaves can harm me. Now, kneel." Daemon's body twitched and strained as two desires struggled within. But the final outcome was never in doubt. The Emperor had ensured Daemon's submission by ensnaring him with more spirals than necessary. He had planned well indeed. 

            Finally, the would-be conqueror knelt before his true master. Triumphant and invincible, the Emperor sat atop his new slave's shoulder and commanded a view of the surrounding area. More and more humans were brought to the detention area. The Rookie Digimon were now separating adults and teens from children, preparing the armies of conquest. Coercion was needed right now, but even so it would yield him the victory he desired. Many would die, but the end result would be a unification of worlds with no fear of war. Sooner or later he'd find away to control human minds as well. Then there would be no threat to peace. One ruler, one will. 

            A small flash of yellow at the corner of his vision drew the Emperor's attention. A Digimon was moving without authorization. A towering Dinosaur clad in varying shades of yellow. Ankylomon. So a few Digidestined had escaped and still aimed to oppose him. How very amusing. "Daemon, let us go greet our former rivals for one last time."

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *          

             Kari spotted their target almost immediately. Daemon was a hard figure to miss, especially now that he had shed his garments. She screamed aloud at the sight of that gapping maw of teeth and those sharp claws. Truly this thing was darkness itself. But as it drew closer she noticed the spiked dark spirals encircling its body; almost like chain links. The conclusion was obvious. It was almost laughable that Daemon had been usurped by the darkness he tampered in. Having been a Digidestined almost as long as TK, Kari could appreciate the significance of the Emperor's betrayal. Those who dabbled in darkness were eventually consumed and then destroyed by the very power they sought to control. That was why she had to free TK before his own pain destroyed him. 

            Once before, Kari had been forced to witness the death of Wizardmon, who had tried to remain among the darkness in order to protect Gatomon. Although his actions had been noble the end result had been the same; Wizardmon had died because of the darkness. Anyone who touched it would suffer the same fate. She would not allow another dear one to die. "Cody, you should head back and help the others."

            "Are you serious? How are you going to fight Daemon without a Digimon?" 

            "Ankylomon won't stand a chance against a Mega. We'll need all our Digimon just to fight on the same level as Daemon. Go back and help the others free Angemon, then come back as soon as you can." She looked at Davis. "… Maybe you should go back as well." 

            "Nuh-huh. I'm staying." 

            "I have the strongest link to TK. I have the best chance of saving him. I know you mean well, Davis, but I'm not sure you can do anything to help right now. Your presence might even strengthen the Emperor's hold on TK." 

            "Because I'm TK's rival, right?" Davis shrugged. "I really don't get this whole 'evil persona' thing. But TK's my bud, even if we are rivals, and I'm not gonna bail on him. You worry about helping TK. I'll handle Daemon." 

            Kari's jaw fell. "How are you planning to-" but Davis was already sliding off Ankylomon's shell and running to meet the Emperor head on. Kari sighed and slid down as well. Ankylomon took off with Cody waving good luck as soon as she touched down. Not certain what Davis was planning, Kari decided to trust him and hid behind an upturned car. With any luck, she'd be able to confront TK one-on-one. 

            Daemon streaked in with flames spewing from his mouth as well as hands. Davis lunged to the side, avoiding the worst of the flames, but he was quickly surrounded in ring of fire. The Emperor laughed from his perch atop Daemon's shoulder. "In over your head already, Davis? How a fool like you has lived this long I'll never understand. I'm betting it has to do with me bailing you out countless times." 

            Davis grinned up at the Emperor, "You know, TO, I always thought you were kinda weird, but never like this. Gotta give you credit; I never even guessed you had this many issues. And people think _I'm_ nuts." 

            "You should be more concerned with yourself." 

            Davis continued as if he hadn't heard. "You must've been really embarrassed to be mad at me, 'cause I hardly ever saw it in your face. Truth is I kinda enjoyed making you mad and getting a reaction. Helped remind me that 'mister perfect' was still human. A lot of what Daemon said made sense. I think you're my rival too, so I'm glad you think of me the same way. But you're still my friend. Nothing changes that, not even what's happening now." 

            "I think a good cremation will change your mind." Flames appeared at Daemon's fingertips. "Torch him." The Emperor ordered. The flames lunged forward, clawing at the ground where Davis stood. But Davis himself was already in flight, leaping over the flame circle and heading down an alleyway. 

            "Catch me if you can, shaggy!" Davis stuck his tongue out at Daemon. 

The Emperor leaped off his slave and ordered him to pursue Davis. "Come back with his ashes. Fail and I'll teach you a level of suffering even the Dark Ocean cannot match." Daemon flapped his wings and streaked off after Davis, vanishing into the maze of the city. 

Kari stepped out from behind her concealment. "I hope some of what he said got through to you." 

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            He knew she'd be here as well. After all, who else would willfully follow the Emperor to achieve a fool's goal? Besides Davis, of course. But this Digidestined was something to be concerned about. While the Emperor had little to fear, he could not deny a foreboding about Kari Kamiya. She was no different from the other Digidestined in that she could arouse darker emotions from TK; but there was no way to nurture those feelings. No resentments, no grudges, no power to feed on. This girl, this human being somehow had the ability to cut through all of TK's emotions and draw out even stronger feelings. Perhaps it was the history they shared, or her frank and direct attitude with him. This girl could not fuel the Emperor's hatred. She detracted from it and in doing so became a far greater threat than any physical danger. How fortunate that she was here, alone; no Digimon guardian. He would enjoy this. 

            "So good of you to show up. I can now send you to join your soon to be incinerated friend." He grinned and stepped towards her.

            Kari Kamiya stepped back slightly, but continued to stare him in the eyes. "TK, I know you can hear me. There's no way you'd give in completely to this darkness. You have to fight back."

            "He can't hear you. He's locked away where no words can reach him. I should know. I spent years locked up inside his head; a swelling of emotions crowded under denial. Do you honestly think I'd allow him to send me back?"

            Kamiya smiled. "You don't have a choice. I know TK better than you. Even if he can't hear me, he'll feel when his friends are in danger. He won't back down." Such bold words for someone who kept retreating. She maintained the distance between them by constantly back stepping

            "He won't bother to fight because he knows what I'm doing is the realization of his dream. I will create a peace everlasting. He's always known that my methods are the only way to ensure true peace. Now that he's given in to his anger, I can proceed with the conviction he lacked. He won't reject me for I am a means to his goals."

            Again Kamiya denied him. "TK, you know that peace can't come from someone who doesn't care about another's life. Think of how many people and Digimon have died for this 'peace.' Nothing is worth that much. You know this is wrong and I know you're going to resist." 

            "Peace is always bought with lives. How many wars ended due to mounting casualties? People only back down from conflict when they see the cost. Beforehand they're all too willing to fight. The deaths I've engineered are nothing compared to how many I can save." 

            "Until they resist you, then you'll execute even more people. I know your type. You'll kill every living thing if you felt they were a threat to you."

            True enough. In fact, he should start with the most present threat. No more debates or reflections. It was time for this yapping sympathizer to die. He quickened his pace, but to his surprise she stopped backing away.

            "TK will beat you. I believe in him and I will prove his strength right now. He'll fight to save lives. I'm going to place my life in his hands." She didn't flinch as he approached her. Foolish girl. He grinned as his hands clenched her throat and he forced her up against the wall, her feet now dangling over the sidewalk. While this one could provide no anger or resentment upon which to feed, the exhilaration of her death was more than enough. The thrill of taking a life, and the power one felt during the act, was more intoxicating that any liquor. 

            "Fight, TK." Kari gasped. Her skin was already beginning to take on a bluish hue and her eyes were becoming unfocused. This was true freedom: the ability to take a life without fear of the consequences. This was but a prelude to the world he created. Like a god of life and death, he would decide who had the right to survive for the betterment of his world. All who failed to meet his standards would not survive to know their inadequacy. Soon this girl would lie limp at his feet, and any despair that TK felt would only strengthen the Emperor. _I will be a god soon. Let this mark the end of the old world and the start of my new future!_ "TK…" 

            Stop it! TK's voice rang in the Emperor's head. So he could actually still speak. 

            No. I think you need to see this. It won't take a moment.

            Let her go!

            I am letting her go. She's free to move on to the next world. 

            I won't let you do this anymore.

            And just how do you plan to stop me?

            Watch. 

            Something tingled along the Emperor's arms, and the Digidestined girl took a sharp gasp, his grip around her throat now loosening. He could feel his consciousness slipping as well. The sensations of the world were growing numb and cold. He could no longer feel the blood rushing through his body as he strangled the life out of Kari. The screams from his new servants became dull, almost inaudible. He was losing control! TK was somehow asserting himself!

            This is my body. You are going back where you came from.

            NO! I am in control now. 

            Not anymore. I'm taking back what's mine. 

            You couldn't hold me before. 

            True. But now I know I have to deal with you. I've ignored you for far too long, but I won't let you ruin everything I care about. You are going back to that mindless mass of emotion you started out as. I'll deal with you after I repair the disaster you've started.

            NO! NO! I am-

            Nothing without me. 

            The Emperor's vision darkened, and his awareness slipped away like a ashes being blown by the wind. How could he be defeated so quickly? Was it this girl he held by the throat? Could she really have that strong an influence on TK? How could he have been so sloppy? If he'd just killed the girl outright. Now he could feel that dark void in TK's mind ensnaring him once again, reducing him to nothing. 

            But this was not the end. Oh no. TK claimed he would deal with his issues later, but that was just a lie. TK had the luxury of almost ten years to deal with his hidden feelings, yet he had never overcome them. If he survived, he'd just tuck all those emotions away until they built up again. And then the Emperor would rise once more; powerful and fully prepared to complete his goals. _I will return. You and I both know this is but a temporary setback. But I will not leave without some degree of revenge._

            With his final conscious thought, the Emperor sent a mental command to his control spire network. All spires were to focus their power on controlling Daemon, thus ensuring he would still follow the Emperor's will after this lapse. He was to enact one final order: kill everything except TK. Another massacre would go a long way to rebuilding the Emperor's consciousness. _Goodbye for now, my future slaves. Those that survive Daemon's wrath will one day bow to me_.

                        *          *          *          *                      *          *          *          *

            Air rushed into her lungs like a flood in the desert. Unconsciousness had come so dangerously close that Kari had feared TK would not be able to break free in time. Even now she was not sure what was happening for the darkness dissipated too slowly. She could hear gasping… and crying. Concerned as she was there was no point in wasting energy when she couldn't even see clearly. She lay there, silent and exhausted as her vision cleared. It took a few moments to muster the strength to even push herself upright.

            TK knelt beside her, his face hidden but tears clearly falling on the concrete. The shudders moving down his shoulders clearly marked the battle of wills' victor. The Emperor had no remorse or pity, so there was no way he could ever show such sorrow. TK, kind, loyal, burdened TK had won. Without a word, Kari leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. He jolted and flinched at her touch, and she could feel his shame as he tried to move away, but she held him close.

            "TK, it's alright. There's nothing more to worry about."

            "No… you're wrong." TK sobbed. "Everything that's happened… everyone that's died. It's all my fault. It was my doing. How can you say everything will be alright?" 

            Good question. Kari knew that TK was not responsible. If anything, he was the truest victim of all. Forced to watch as a part of his persona cut away and hijacked his body, causing pain to everyone he cared for and stealing the lives of countless innocents. Surely no assurance could ease such a burden. It was already clear that it would take many weeks, even months, for TK to accept that this was not doing. But what say now? What could she tell him?

            She remembered how Sora and other friends had always supported her through their reassurances. They hadn't promised a solution, or lied to comfort her. They'd been honest and made it clear that they would always be there for Kari. It was because of them that she knew how to answer from the heart.

            "I can't say how things will turn out, but I know that everything will be fine. I believe in you, just like I did when I let the Emperor grab me. I knew you'd protect me and break free. I'm here for you, always. We'll get through this together, and with the help of all our friends." TK's shuddering subsided just a little, and for now that was enough. All Kari cared about right now was that her friend was safe and free. Now all that remained was to undo the damage the Emperor had set in motion. No small task, but hopefully easier than freeing TK. With any luck, the Emperor's imprisonment had shut down the control spires and dark rings. She could already hear the startled roars and declarations of freedom from nearby Digimon. It seemed almost naively hopeful that this conflict had ended so abruptly. 

            "HEY! Guys!" Davis came running down the road. Part of his hair was singed, but thankfully he did not appeared burned. TK glanced over his shoulder at his returning friend, but quickly averted his gaze. 

            Kari tried to divert attention away from TK. He needed a moment to compose himself. "Davis, how did you get away from Daemon?" 

            "I didn't!" A fireball rounded the street corner in Davis' wake. From it emerged the blue and black nightmare of Daemon's true form. His eyes flared a deeper crimson than the flames pouring from his mouth. Kari knew just by looking at him that the Emperor's war was not yet over. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

            Author's Note: Just one more chapter. Just one more! I've spent so long on this fic and now it's finally coming to a conclusion. There's nothing left to say except stay vigil for the final chapter! See you then!


	11. Return to the Light

Darkness Reborn,

Chapter 11: Return to the Light

by Silver

Lying Disclaimer: I own all Digimon. EVERYTHING! Just like I own America, and England, and France (someone else can have the other countries). And I own all of you too, so read my story!

Author's Note: As you might tell from the disclaimer, I'm a little giddy right now. After two years of working on this fic (a larger struggle than usual) I have finally completed Darkness Reborn! This is _the_ final chapter. Since it took so long for me to get this out, it might be good for people to go back and review a few of the older chapters, since I bring back some old faces from the start of this story.

Before diving in to this conclusion, I want to thank everyone who has read this story and supported my effort. The constructive criticism and feedback of people like TurquoiseCow, Smarty Verse, K.H.T., Josh the Critic, Tremor3258, and countless others have far outshined any destructive commentary I've encountered along the way. I don't think this is my best work, but I'm proud of myself for completing it and at least attempting to write a TK & Kari relationship (being that I am and forever shall be a Daikari fan).

Well, enough from me. I hope you enjoy this last chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a lonely fight. Yes, there were other Digimon present, not the least of which was Hypermon. He fired missiles and dodged blasts like a second nature, never having to think about moving aside and retaliating. It just came naturally, like breathing. Funny how a life consisting of mostly combat could create such an odd habit. Then there was Sylphimon, firing Static Force blasts and adding kicks whenever an opening so rarely appeared. None of their attacks fazed ChaosAngemon, though. He just kept on swinging that staff, which despite its resemblance to decaying wood, delivered a force as powerful as iron bar. Their attacks slowed him, but if their corrupt friend felt any pain he certainly didn't broadcast it. His face hadn't flashed an expression once; and the only time they heard his monotone voice was during his Hand of Chaos attacks.

The real problem—for Magnamon at least—was that Davis wasn't there. There was no loneliness from numbers. This fight featured many combatants. Any fight with more than two competitors always bothered him. No, he felt loneliness of the soul. Digimon felt a kinship with their human partners, so similar it was even deeper than a connection between brothers. As Veemon he had joked to Davis that their connection was so strong they might as well have been married. His head still hurt from the noogie that rewarded that remark. All jokes aside, that connection was what sustained Magnamon in battle. When he fought, it wasn't just for the sake of some noble cause. He fought because Davis would benefit from that cause. As long as Davis would come out on top, Magnamon would fight for any ideal. It was same for all Digimon. After all, hadn't MetalGarurumon attacked Tai and WarGreymon because of his loyalty to Matt? It had been in Matt's interest. There'd been no malice or hatred between the two Megas.

Come to think of it, perhaps that was what ChaosAngemon was doing now. For all they knew, that spiked spiral around ChaosAngemon's neck did nothing more than convince him that following the Emperor's orders were in TK's best interests. Perhaps even the Emperor himself thought he was helping TK out. That was wrong, of course. Whatever issues he might have, TK was not the kind of person who sacrificed other people's lives to reach his goals. Any cause that required blood was too foul for him. How was it that something as twisted as the Emperor had arisen from within TK? Even in battle the shock did not lessen. Maybe that was why Davis had run off with Kari to rescue their friend. They could both contribute more in the battle for TK's soul by leaving than by staying behind.

But Magnamon did miss Davis.

Too bad ChaosAngemon didn't miss Magnamon. He landed a blow on Magnamon's belly stunning him and creating a clear opening for a strike from above. ChaosAngemon had nearly finished raising the staff above his head when a titanic yellow and black blur struck him from the side. Ankylomon watched his fusion partner bounce across the grass, kicking up large portions of sod as he fell.

"Thanks for the save." Magnamon leaded heavily against the larger Digimon. "Did you find TK?"

"Yeah. Kari and Davis are trying to get through to him now. I don't know how much luck they'll have since Daemon's guarding TK."

"You left Davis and Kari to face Daemon _alone_?" Magnamon couldn't believe his friend could do something so foolish.

"What was I supposed to do? There's no way I could fight him by myself. Kari told us that-" ChaosAngemon fired a blast of energy before the argument could continue. Then it was back to dodging and striking again; fighting a losing battle against a good friend. The exhausting rhythm of hit, run, dodge, block, drained some of Magnamon's initial anger. Ankylomon was right, he couldn't have faced Daemon one-on-one and hope to survive. Doing so would only result in the loss of another good friend. And Davis wouldn't let any harm befall Kari. He'd find a way to distract Daemon.

Some would say that would take a miracle, but that was why Magnamon wasn't worried. Davis made miracles. He always found a way to come out on top, no matter how hopeless the situation or complicated the issues. Magnamon had always thought that Davis' unique ability lay in his persona rather than any sort of destiny. Davis was the kind of person to wear his heart on his sleeve. He expressed all of his emotions clearly and without hesitation (though sometimes he felt more embarrassment than anything else after his outbursts). Such candor allowed him to keep things in perspective and see options that others missed. Whenever that failed, his bull-headed stubbornness often plowed through any other obstacles. He'd demonstrated his skill multiple times, including the battles with Kimeramon and MaloMyotismon. When everyone else wanted to quit or run away, Davis plowed forward; either too courageous to back down from danger, or too oblivious to even think about it. Whatever the case, Magnamon could never argue with the results.

Yet it was those same results that had led TK on the path to darkness. Though it was hardly Davis' fault, his accomplishments had nurtured the subconscious resentment within TK. It was so strange that TK had been the one to slip into the role of villain when he had always seemed the most composed the group. At the other end of the persona spectrum, Davis had been an emotional berserker, unloading his feelings on everything near him. TK had withheld all his sadness and anger. Hiding his feelings made him seem so calm and composed; the most reliable of the younger Digidestined. No one could have guessed the inner turmoil within that quiet soul. Given the current situation, perhaps it would have been better if TK had followed Davis' example a few times.

ChaosAngemon was dueling with Sylphimon now, allowing the remaining three Digimon regroup and launch a joint attack. The Magna Blast, Tail Hammer, and Hyper Missiles sailed in at ChaosAngemon's back, but he managed to back flip off Sylphimon out of the line of fire. At the same time, the force of his kick knocked Sylphimon out of the way as well. The blasts detonated harmlessly in the sky. Magnamon couldn't help but wonder if ChaosAngemon had intended to save Sylphimon even as he avoided the strike. Perhaps just a little bit of Patamon was shinning through.

But even if that was true the fighting resumed with as much vigor as before. ChaosAngemon showed no further signs of Patamon breaking his slavery. ChaosAngemon was an emotionless and brutal as ever. Before long, Sylphimon lay on the ground before him, battered and tired, awaiting death from the fallen angel's staff. Magnamon and Hypermon hurled themselves before the blow could fall, clinging to ChaosAngemon's arms and waist to pull him back.

"Patamon, stop this!"

"This isn't who you are!"

But the only reply was to be swatted away. Now it was they who would be receive their end. Feeling too weary to battle any more, his armor dented and cracked, Magnamon felt death reaching out to him more certain than ever. Ankylomon was charging forward, but the lumbering giant was too slow. He'd never make it in time. It was too bad Magnamon couldn't have been with Davis one last time. But perhaps it was better that he not see his partner's demise. Davis was the kind of person who'd get himself killed trying to avenge Magnamon. No matter how much love they shared, Magnamon did not wish his partner to follow him into death. No, Davis should only die at a ripe old age, surrounded by children and grandchildren. Would such a future come exist? If the Emperor wasn't stopped, Davis would either die at the hands of ChaosAngemon or under the crack of a whip. _Be strong, __Davis__. Defeat the Emperor for your own future, don't worry about avenging me._

But the final blow never came. Rather, ChaosAngemon screamed and gripped his head while staggering back. Ankylomon used the break to shove his former partner aside. The pain of the blow paled with whatever tormented the Chaos General's mind. He limped to his feet and gaze at the two Golden Armor Digimon. His movements were jerky, almost as if he were straining against an invisible chain. He exposed his neck, where the spiral choked off his free will. "Strike…" there was some hint of emotion in his voice. "Strike… now!"

This was a sign. Somehow, Magnamon knew that Davis and Kari had something to do with this. They had broken through the Emperor's hold on TK, and in doing so weakened the Emperor's hold on Patamon. This was perhaps the only opportunity they'd have. Magnaman signaled to Hypermon to charge. Both flung themselves with the very last of their strength at ChaosAngemon, aiming a blow at his control spiral. Their gauntlets cracked and shattered under the impact, but among those falling bits of gold there were shards of darkness. ChaosAngemon slumped to the ground as the last bits of the spiral fell from his body. The dark energy seemed to vaporize off his body, evaporating into the night sky until a small, winged bat-pig Digimon lay on the ground.

"Patamon!" Yolei came and scooped up the little Digimon. Magnamon wasn't feeling much better than his newly liberated friend. His strength ebbed and he slumped to the ground beside Hypermon. In a final flash of brilliance, they reverted all the way back to Chibomon and Leafmon. Ken and Cody took them up and carried them next to Yolei.

"Ugh…" Patamon moaned. "TK…"

"Welcome back." said Ken.

"TK! Where's TK?"

Yolei shrugged. "We don't know." She pulled out her D3. "Kari and Davis must be near him. If you snapped out of being a Chaos General, then those two probably got through to TK. If we find them, we'll find TK."

"And then what do we say?"

Cody had asked the million dollar question. What could any of them say to TK after everything that had happened? Chibomon doubted any of them harbored a grudge against TK, a victim of his own suppressions. Yet they all knew TK, and he'd be ashamed to even be seen by them. There wasn't anything they could say that would ease his shame. Ankylomon had the wisest words. "Let's go find him first. Then we'll worry about talking. I want to make sure he's really okay. Plus, Daemon might still be out there."

The group agreed and everyone piled on to the large dinosaur Digimon. Cody held Patamon while Yolei asked Sylphimon to take the lead into city. If any Digimon reacted violently to their freedom, Sylphimon could settle them down. Ken cared for both baby Digimon. With Davis MIA, it was the least he could do.

On their trek, Chibomon hoped that the fighting was done. All three Chaos Generals were gone. That meant there was no longer a power source to feed the control spires. Even the though the black monuments continued to connect both worlds, the merger had stopped. The Digital World still hung upside down, precariously close to the human world, but now unmoving. With all the Digimon here on Earth, it wouldn't be too difficult to destroy the spires and return the Digital World to its rightful distance from Earth. All the Digidestined loved the Digital World, but it was good for humans to have a place to return to. Smashing both worlds together in some weird merging would only have made things harder on everyone. It was hard to imagine humans starting out new colonies within the Digital World, constantly fearing attack from some hungry creature that didn't acknowledge territories and city limits.

Daemon couldn't have thought this plan through very well. Sure, he knew how to make an army, but he had no idea how to rule. Did he really think he could accomplish anything with a bunch of mindless slaves? Without free will and individuality, Daemon would have to issue orders for everything. Get out of bed! Eat your breakfast! Charge into battle! Block that attack! Dodge that blow! Breathe! Chibmon knew from experience that enslaved people didn't willfully serve their captor, which made it twice as hard to accomplish anything. Daemon would have failed in the end, but failure meant the loss of lives. He'd already cost countless Digimon and human fatalities. It was good to be done.

Odd how he had learned so much yet still remained foolishly optimistic. Rounding a corner, the group saw TK, Davis, and Kari running down the street. They started to cheer and wave hello, but their joyful cries turned to gasps when Daemon, shackled from head to toe with dark spirals, rounded the corner and unleashed his fiery breath.

_ This is all my fault._ The only thought within TK's mind. All those dead Digimon. _My fault._ The dead humans._ My fault. _Families broken. _My fault._ Lives devastated. _My fault. My fault. My fault._

And now his greatest failure had taken form in Daemon. A merciless killing machine, loosed upon the entire world in one final act of spite. TK could no longer feel the Emperor within his mind, though the ghost of the connection still haunted him. Once he had admitted the truth, he could feel the invisible cord within his soul, uniting two different lives in a bond that was neither supportive nor welcome. Now that link was gone, and perhaps the Emperor had dispersed into raw emotion as well. Yet he had been so certain of his return, so sure that TK would allow himself to slip back into that depression and hide away everything he wanted to cry to the world. Wasn't he doing that right now? Even as he fled with Kari and Davis—two friends who had come to pull him out of the dark—he could only focus on his shame. He reflected on it silently, not afraid of death. Perhaps he even welcomed the punishment, or was it a release? But Daemon wasn't after him. If anything, it was TK's presence that kept Daemon from incinerating the entire city. Daemon was now programmed _not_ to harm TK; though TK knew he'd be the first target if Daemon ever chose. He was using the Emperor's future designs as a hostage. The memory of his greatest mistake was now a shield for the friends he'd betrayed. How could he have fallen so far?

Up ahead an armor Digimon lumbered down the street with eight figures waving hello. Kari and Davis waved back and ran even faster towards their approaching friends. TK hung back, almost turning around to face Daemon. "TK!" A small flying orange bundle of love and devotion threw itself at him. Patamon embraced his partner with both his stubby little arms and his wings. TK stiffened under the embrace, too shocked that his friend could greet him after the forced transformation into ChaosAngemon. "I'm so glad you're back!"

TK didn't have time for a reply. Daemon came swooping in, spewing flames from his hands and his mouth. Whole buildings lit afire and began to spread the blaze down the block. Kari and the others screamed at him to get on Ankylomon. Reluctant to be anywhere near the people he didn't deserve, TK nevertheless went with them to serve as a human shield.

Ankylomon fled down a street while Daemon took momentary interest in torching more buildings. In his brainwashed state, he'd apparently forgotten that all the humans in the city had been dragged from their homes and taken to concentration points. Daemon wasn't killing anyone yet, but the flames were consuming homes and businesses. If any humans survived this night, they'd return home only to find their livelihoods decimated. _My fault_.

"Well, we're all together again." Davis sounded oddly cheerful. "So, what do we do now?"

Ken glanced back at Daemon, who had renewed his pursuit. "Can we fight him?"

Cody shook his head. "Remember last time? Two fusion Digimon and a Mega couldn't stop this monster. We're already tired from fighting ChaosAngemon, and Daemon's even more dangerous because he's not holding back."

"He will hold back." TK's voice sounded hollow. "He's been ordered not to hurt me."

"Why?" Everyone glared at Yolei, who realized what she had said and quickly looked abashed. TK didn't mind. It was a good question and something they needed to hear.

"When the Emperor lost control of my body, he gave one final order to the control spires: Keep Daemon Enslaved. He then ordered Daemon to kill everyone on Earth except me, so that I'd become angry again and re-release the Emperor. Daemon won't attack as long as there's a chance I'll get hurt." He looked at the others, a plan now in his mind. "So what we do-"

"Scratch that." Davis said. "We're not going with that plan."

"I haven't said anything yet." Was it possible Davis didn't want to hear TK's plan because of all he'd done.

"Don't have to say it. I already know _your_ plan. You serve as a big old 'human shield' while the rest of us go after Daemon. Right?" TK's face confirmed Davis' suspicions. "Dude, that's so like you. It's not gonna happen."

Kari agreed. "You can't make things right by putting yourself in danger TK. A victory at your expense would be the worst thing of all." The others nodded in silent agreement. TK felt tears well in his eyes. First he felt ashamed that he thought the others would not listen to his idea simply out of a grudge; and he felt such relief that they were just as concerned for his safety as ever. But if he couldn't somehow help, how would he atone?

"I have a plan." said Cody. Everyone, TK included, leaned in to hear. "Daemon's made a big mistake in moving all the Digimon from the Digital World here to Earth. If we can lure Daemon into a trap, we can hit him with the combine powers of our own Digimon as well as those that were brought into the city. We can also have Digidestined from other parts of the world send flying Digimon our way. That might be enough to defeat him."

Davis frowned, "Okay, but how do we get him to move around to where we need him? The minute he goes near those other Digimon he'll start blasting."

"We'll have to fight him and keep his attention totally focused on us."

Kari shook her head. "Can we do that with the power we have now?"

Ken nodded. "Remember, we're not facing him as before. We'll have two Megas now." Everyone looked at TK. They still relied on his strength.

"You can count on me. Just don't let the other Digimon see me in this outfit." He gestured to the Emperor costume that still clung to him like a parasite. "I'm sure some of them will recognize me. Then…"

Davis waved a hand. "No worries. They'll be too busy noticing the big flaming guy trying to kill 'em. You'll be fine."

"Hey," Ankylomon called from up ahead. "Just what am I supposed to be doing during all this? If Patamon's going to be a Mega, I can't become part of Shakkoumon. I hope you don't expect me to go up against Daemon like this."

Cody replied, "No. I need you to take me to the nearest group of Digimon and have them spread the word. We'll also need you in case some of them are taking out their frustrations on the neighborhood."

The Digimon sighed. "So I'm still stuck as a transport." TK felt sorry for him. Ankylomon had constantly been left behind as Angemon gained more power. It wasn't fair, but it didn't make Ankylomon less important. TK hoped his friend understood that.

Everyone decided Cody's plan was the best choice. TK, Davis, and Ken would take their respective Digimon and battle Daemon while Kari, Yolei and Cody tried to persuade the newly arrived Digimon to aid in Daemon's destruction. Sylphimon would be charged with handling any Ultimate-level Digimon that might cause trouble, and his bipedal body might be more familiar to the humans than many other Digimon. Ankylomon consented to acting as courier/bodyguard, though he grumbled all the way to the awaiting crowd. TK could only imagine the confusion on both sides. The Digimon were free, but in a foreign land and either oblivious to their acts or suffering the shock of suddenly regaining their freedom. There was no telling how confused, frightened, or angry they might be.

The humans would most definitely be afraid. They had been seized and guarded by the Digimon—creatures they only knew about from the news and various raids. Humanity hadn't had enough time to get used to the idea of digital life forms. All it would take would be one act of aggression on either side to spark a riot.

TK shook his head and refused to let the guilt of the situation distract him from his duty. He was a Digidestined; and the Emperor had been right. TK _had_ been at this longer than anyone else, so he knew that self-doubt and loathing could at least wait until the crisis past.

With a burst of energy from their partners, Chibomon and Leafmon evolved all the way to their Champion forms. Patamon followed suite.

"XV-mon…"

"Stingmon…"

"DNA digivolve to… Paildramon! Mega Digivolve to… Imperialdramon!"

"Angemon warp digivolve to… Seraphimon!" Seeing Angemon's highest form gave TK some rekindled hope. This plan could work and bring about Daemons end. Just _stay focused_.

Imperialdramon and Seraphimon soared up to meet Daemon. Despite the situation, Imperialdramon seemed just a little giddy. After all, he'd only just regained the ability to reach his Mega form. Having been restrained by the control spires for so long, it was only fitting that he should feel some jubilation. But then it was back to business as Imperialdramon flew straight at Daemon and sunk his teeth into his enemy's arm.

Daemon screamed and batted Imperialdramon away with his free arm, creating a gap for Seraphimon. A right hook to that massive jaw staggered Daemon a bit, but he quickly recovered and unleashed a Deadly Flame inferno at both Digimon. Seraphimon took shelter behind Imperialdramon's shield and weathered the firestorm unsigned. Then came the counterattack.

"Seven Heavens!" The seven golden spheres struck home and sent Daemon toppling. They also cracked the spiked dark spirals on his body.

"Seraphimon, don't!" TK called up to his partner.

"What is it?"

Davis glared at TK. "What did he do wrong? Last I checked, beating up Daemon was a _good _thing." For a moment TK felt that Davis was accusing him of another betrayal, but then he realized that Davis was right. It was good to strike back against Daemon; but not like that.

"If we destroy the dark spirals, Daemon will regain control of his mind."  
Ken nodded. "Which means we loose our only real advantage. As he is now, Daemon is much more violent and destructive, but he's also dumber. His actions are predictable and we can stay one step ahead of him mentally. If we accidentally free him, though…"

Davis nodded. "Okay, okay. I gotcha. Better strong and dumb than weak and clever."

"Weak" wasn't the term TK would use when describing Daemon.

"You heard him, guys, no breaking the spirals!"

Imperialdramon sighed. "Oh, you gotta be kidding! Whatever happened to the good old days where it was smash a control spire and call it good. I'm gonna need-UGH!" Daemon's kick cut off Imperialdramon's rant. Not a entirely a bad thing in TK's mind.

"Cheap shot." Imperialdramon growled. "Mode change to… Fighter mode!" Imperialdramon assumed his bipedal form and easily eclipsed Daemon's smaller body. He swatted the dark Digimon away with mocking ease.

Unfortunately, Daemon regained control of his flight and balanced himself before striking to ground. Then he grew. His body swelled and expanded, adding to his already imposing form until he was able to look Imperialdramon in the eye and wrestle him shoulder-to-shoulder. The size difference eliminated, Daemon roared and lunged forward, aiming a strike at Imperialdramon's throat. The blow was predictable enough that Imperialdramon could avoid the blow and slip behind Daemon without too much danger. Davis and Ken grinned at TK, acknowledging that he had been right in not striking Daemon with broad-range attacks. Imperialdramon slipped his arms around Daemon's armpits and clasped his hands behind Daemon's head. Daemon roared and thrashed, but could not break the full-nelson lock. Seraphimon swooped in and began delivering a series of punches and kicked to Daemon's midsection. With his arms held upright by Imperialdramon's grip, he couldn't fight back physically, and he lacked the thought to blast fire from his mouth. For a moment it seemed as though the combine might of both Megas might be enough.

But then Daemon grew angry, and his power lit up the night.

There was a strong feeling of anger just beneath the surface of this sea of confusion. The Digimon were looking around at their new surroundings, not quite sure how they came to be here. The larger ones seemed secure in their size and power, but the smaller Digimon mixed in with the humans were definitely more concerned. They glanced around nervously as if expecting an attack from every direction. Many huddled in the shadows of their larger brethren.

The humans were equally fearful and/or hostile. Kari figured that the only thing holding back their retaliations or flight was the presence of the larger Digimon. As with so many things in life, size mattered.

Kari, Yolei, and Cody were moving among the crowd, trying to encourage calm and ease by showing they had no fear of the Digimon. Sylphimon and Ankylomon were moving at the outskirts of the concentration area, explaining the situation to Digimon and encouraging them to spread words of comfort to the more fearful members. The Digidestined kept their eyes open for friends and family, hoping to enlist their aid in calming everyone. Kari had already run into Jim Kido and Jun Motomiya, but was frustrated that she hadn't found her own family. Who knew where Tai had ended up. He had been away at college during this crisis and was most likely in another part of the country.

What was happening at those other sites? Were people and Digimon maintaining their composure, or would more deaths ensue? Trying to ignore those thoughts only brought up memories of TK's face after his liberation. He'd looked so ashamed and sad. Couldn't he see that there was nothing needing forgiveness? Everyone who loved him understood that he was more a victim than anyone. Of course he couldn't see that. He couldn't forgive himself, and that blinded him to the forgiveness of others. When this was over, Kari would have to work hard to help him see the hands that reached out to re-embrace him if he only allowed them to take hold.

Her thoughts didn't go any farther. The night suddenly lifted and for a moment Kari thought daylight had arrived. But a light this intense couldn't come at dawn. She squinted at the source and saw Daemon's grotesque form at its center. He was unleashing an unfocused blast of energy at Imperialdramon and Seraphimon, sending both of them hurtling away. The shockwave also toppled several buildings nearby. People screamed and stumbled over each other as debris rained down.

To their credit, many of the Champion and Ultimate Digimon lunged forward, shielding civilians with their bodies while others used powerful blasts to reduce the falling brick and concrete into dust. There were injuries, however. Many people were pinned under rubble. Some had broken legs. Others would lose limbs completely. Chaos ensued as people and smaller Digimon fled the area, running as far away from the battle zone as they could.

"Everyone!" Cody shouted from atop Ankylomon. Only the nearest humans and Digimon themselves stopped to listen. Others continued to flee, trampling slower runners in the process. Kari had to fight hard against the current of people just to stand upright. Cody called the larger Digimon. "That demon up there fighting the angel and the dragon; _he's _the cause of all this. He's the one you imprisoned your minds and sent you to enslave human kind. We're fighting to stop him but we need your help!"

To say that the reactions were mixed was optimistic. Some Digimon immediately turned and fired at Daemon, perhaps because they had previously met the Digidestined and trusted Cody implicitly; or maybe they were finally happy to have a target for their anger. Others were not so trusting. Some Digimon shrugged and moved away, unswayed by the words of a child. Humans saw Cody as a traitor, for he rode one of the beasts that had captured or killed so many people.

"I lost my wife in last night's attack!" a man shouted. "Why the hell should I listen to some monster-lover?"

Kari admired how calm Cody could remain, even in the face of such hatred. "That demon-creature up there created the monster that killed your wife. He's the source of your pain. Everyone here, Digimon and human, are victims of his plans. If you're going to focus your anger on something, aim it at him!"

"I'd rather kill all these freaks!" the man roared back.

"Watch your mouth, human." A Tyrannomon lumbered forward. "I have no interest in challenging a Mega for these pitiful creatures. I demand that you open a portal to send me and my own home."

Kari shook her head. "There isn't time to send you back now. Daemon will kill everyone here if he isn't stopped."

A Veggimon said, "He'll kill all the _humans_. We'll be safe if you send us back. Or are you going to keep us here like slaves?" The accusation and the implied comparison to the Digimon Emperor stabbed her like nothing else.

"It appears you are already slaves to your own selfishness and cowardice." Kari hadn't noticed that a man wearing a white robe had materialized beside her. A man with long dark hair and a square-shaped face that was startlingly familiar.

"Oikawa?"

"Yukio!" Datirimon hopped from Yolei's arms and ran to his partner. "You're back! You're back! You're back!"

Oikawa smiled and picked up his partner. "My apologies for being late. The powers that held me only until just recently, and I've never tried crossing dimensions before. I'm glad I arrived in one piece."

He regarded the mob arrayed around him. His abrupt appearance had startled everyone into inaction. "You Digimon, you all want to go home, but do you think that you will be safe there? The Digital World has faced true horrors in the last decade. You have all suffered from the Dark Masters and both Digimon Emperors. Time and again you have fallen under their power and been forced into slavery. Now you finally have a chance to strike back at a force that oppresses you and you do nothing. You run and hide, hoping that a gap that has been crossed multiple times will now suddenly protect you. Can you really believe that this fight that has spanned both worlds will now suddenly remain contained here on Earth? The only way you will ever know safety is if you work for it with your own power! Your enemy flies over your heads yet you do not fire! Your allies, the enemy of your enemy, stand next to you but you do not protect them. Fight back! Claim your freedom and your future, and strike at Daemon!"

Kari was awestruck. She had never heard Oikawa speak such words. Apparently, life as the guardian of the Digital World had changed him more deeply than anyone could have guessed, and his words carried a far greater impact. The Digimon who were not yet attacking turned (some more reluctantly than others) and added their strength to the bombardment.

Now Oikawa addressed the humans. "And you people, why do you turn your hate on those who fight for you? I know you all want revenge or justice for the recent loss of lives. These Digimon creatures around you have suffered similar losses. They lost loved ones to the same horrors, and now they finally fight against those who wronged them. Taken into slavery and brought here to this foreign world, they fight to reclaim what they lost. Will you be any different? Will you not fight to regain the peace of this land?"

Someone found his voice, albeit timidly. "J-just what can we do against _that_?"

"A battle like this is fought on more than just physical strength. The will of the group can be a greater power than any other. Focus your anger on your true enemy and encourage those who fight beside you. Keep them focused on the real target and do not allow hatred or fear to blind you! The worst thing you can do is to take no action at all!"

Not everyone responded to Oikawa's speech. Some people were too bitter over last night's tragedy, or perhaps some were racist to begin with. They did not take action. They glared at him as they brushed past. But far more people helped. They ran to the nearest Digimon and offered their encouragement, or shouted insults and obscenities at Daemon. For every one person that left, five other stayed and fought.

Scenes like these, even though it was a tragic battle, gave Kari hope that someday humans might forgive Digimon for the actions of a few, just as Digimon would have to forgive humans. How sad it was that a few misguided individuals could paint all of a society, nation, or world in a negative light. Kari swore to herself that when she grew older and fulfilled her dream of being a teacher, she'd make sure this was one of her most important lesson to her students.

If she lived to see that day. For all their attacks, Daemon wasn't weakening.

"We are still struggling." said Seraphimon.

He and Imperialdramon had been given a short reprieve from battle as Daemon contended with the new combatants. Digimon from all over the city and beyond were moving in to aid in the attack. Several flying Digimon swooped in and fired bursts at Daemon's back. The shots stung and cause him to yell, but there didn't appear to be any critical damage. His shield of flames prevented many shots from getting through; and then the death started again.

With one claw raised, Daemon fired a jet of fire that incinerated several Airdramon in one passing. A few Kuwagamon lost their nerve and turned to flee, only to be shot from behind by another inferno. The barrage from the air was enough that Daemon hadn't turned his attention on the people and Digimon below, but soon all the air combatants would be gone, then it would be another human massacre.

Seraphimon shook his head. "All our power, and we cannot penetrate his defenses."

"Don't tell me you're quitting." said Imperialdramon. "We haven't lost yet."

"I know… but we must find a way around Daemon's defenses before any more innocents die. Perhaps if you fired a Positron Laser and weakened his shield-"

"To do that we'd have to focus all the energy in one small spot. Your Seven Heaven's attack wouldn't fit."

Seraphimon clenched his fist. Daemon would _not_ kill another human. Such an act was cruel and terrible in itself, but the added harm it would do to TK's fragile soul made it all the more unthinkable. There had to be a way…

"I have an idea." Imperialdramon said. "Can you create a Seven Heavens attack _without_ firing it."

"Yes… I believe so. Why?"  
"No time, just do it." Seraphimon felt a deep foreboding about this. Neither XV-mon nor Stingmon were known for being exceptionally strategic in a fight. Usually, Ken or Cody became the main planners. So what did his friend have planned in this most critical moment? Better to trust his friend than to do nothing. Seraphimon conjured the shinning orbs and held them before Imperialdramon.

The bipedal dragon raised his hands on either side of the array and a thin blue sheen surrounded the space between them. Slowly, the aura contracted, moving the Seven Heavens closer together. "What are you-"

"Shh! I need to concentrate. And if you can keep your attack from exploding-"

"I cannot. It is meant to explode."

"Then hold you're breath." Imperialdramon's shield continued to constrict Seraphimon's attack. "Careful… careful." The Seven Heavens did not explode for some reason. Perhaps they did not sense the presence of evil, or maybe because they were the same power, they could meld together without detonating. Whatever the explanation, Seraphimon remained fascinated yet terrified as Imperialdramon narrowed the energy shield into an enclosed tube with a flat pointed edge at the end. The light of the Seven Heavens shone within a bright blue spear.

"Impressive…" said Seraphimon. "You do realize, however, that this could explode in our faces at any moment?"

Imperialdramon shifted back to his dragon mode. "All the more reason to get it planted in Daemon, fast. Hop on." Seraphimon mounted Imperialdramon's back and grasped the spear in one hand. "Ugh… you're heavy."

"It is my armor."

"Yeah, right." Imperialdramon chuckled.

"And I am sure Davis and Ken have your two halves on a strict diet as well."

"What's a diet?" Seraphimon was not entirely sure his friend was joking. They rushed forward at top speed, passing several Digimon on the way. Seraphimon could feel the energy within the spear straining against its containment. He had been correct in saying his attack would detonate. It _wanted_ to explode; it was the attack's nature. Now if they could only reach Daemon before their own plan backfired, literally. Imperialdramon weaved and looped past the flaming jets that were now fired indiscriminately at the growing cloud of Digimon. Daemon was still too preoccupied with the aerial attack to worry about the ground assault or notice the two Megas charging forth. He didn't even glimpse their approach until they were right beside him.

They were truly pushing the limit of time with this attack. Not only did the spear look and feel as if it would burst, but Daemon's control spirals teetered on shattering. Cracks and dents dotted their faces and many of the spikes had broken off. Seraphimon wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Daemon's eyes return to normal just as the final moment came.

With one mighty thrust of his arm, Seraphimon plunged the energy spear into Daemon's chest with a loud, wet crack. Daemon screamed and Imperialdramon shot by, avoiding a retaliatory jet of fire. The spear now protruded for Daemon's chest, but only for a moment. Just as the demonic creature placed his hand to remove the spear, Imperialdramon dropped the shield containing the blast's energy. Finally free to act on its design, the force of the Seven Heavens spread outward, devouring Daemon from within. He screamed and thrashed but it was far too late to shield himself, especially with his torso now vaporized from the inside out. All the Digimon and humans watched with an odd mixture of awe and satisfaction as the would-be dominator of three worlds vanished in a flash of light, leaving only bits of dust that broke into fragmented data and scattered to the wind.

Seraphimon looked out over the city, at the people and Digimon who had survived this onslaught. They had saved many, many lives this night; ending the conflict with the least amount of casualties. Yet so many had died, both from the onslaught of the Chaos Generals and from Daemon's own spree. The battle was over, but the fallout would last for years. Perhaps the greatest casualties of all were the survivors.

The flames weren't nearly as powerful as Daemon's hell-storm, but they did the job. In a small pyre the clothes turned to ash and shrunk away. Fahrenheit 451, the temperature at which the Emperor's clothes burn.

Now the Emperor had no clothes. He was exposed to those who knew him best. All his hidden resentments, all his fears and anger, all out in the open for his friends to see and know that TK himself was no friend at all.

Even now, all he could do was act for his own good. Off in the distance, a control spire flashed out of existence and the patch of the Digital World that hung overhead vanished and was replaced by the normal night's sky. While the others had climbed aboard Imperialdramon to fly around the world or fanned out around the city, returning Digimon to their own world and shattering control spires, TK himself could only perform this small act of atonement. Somehow, burning his Emperor uniform was the only way he could say "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

"Quite the funeral pyre." Oikawa and Datirimon approached from behind. The contrast between the two was almost comical. Oikawa, once possessed of a dark influence and nearly destroyed by that hidden evil now looked much more healthy and happy with his brighter skin pigment and relaxed expression. TK, victim of his own inner demons now looked much older than his fifteen years. To think they'd switch roles so easily…

Oikawa approached silently, reverently. Datirimon hung back, uncharacteristically quite. "I've always believed," said Oikawa, "that people need to perform their own special ceremonies. In a moment of triumph or a period of mourning, a ceremony helps make the experience more real."

"Why didn't you tell me?" demanded TK.

Oikawa's sigh made it clear he had been expecting the question, and dreading it. "Yes… why didn't I warn you of the darkness looming in your own heart? Why didn't I try to avert this tragedy?"

"That's what _I_ want to know!" TK exploded. "If I had known, I could have stopped this! No one else would have had to die!"   
"No one _else_? Meaning that if you'd known you would have killed yourself?"

"Better that I die than so many other people. People who didn't even know why they died."

Oikawa shook his head. "None of us know why we have to die. Even those who die for a cause don't fully realize the importance of their death."

"Stop sidestepping the question and tell me why!"

Oikawa met TK's anger with a maddeningly calm reply. "If I had told you that you had an alter-ego inside of you that took the guise of the Digimon Emperor, would you have believed me?" TK didn't reply. "If you had told me four years ago that I had a digital vampire dwelling inside me, do you think I would have believed you?" Again, no reply. "I think we both know the answer to both questions. Evil by its very nature is almost invisible at first, hidden from our senses. Often an act we think will do good turns out to be wrong, or we rationalize an evil act because we don't wish to see what we are truly doing. I know I certainly didn't want to admit what a monster I had become not too long ago. The difference between good and bad people is that good people admit their mistakes and try to learn from them, even atone. Truly evil people continue to fool themselves and come to love the terrors they cause."

Finally TK could speak. "So what am I?"

"That's really up to you, TK. But from my point of view, you have always been a good person. You made a mistake, and Daemon, a truly evil being, preyed upon that error. He took advantage of the emotions you kept hidden and gave them a life of their own. You didn't choose to be evil, TK. That choice was stolen from you."

"So now it's either learn and atone or be evil again, right?"

"That's over-simplified, but basically true. You now know now that you have hidden scars from your own life. You know that you have faults, as do we all. To learn from this tragedy, you must work to heal your wounds. Then I think you can work to heal the wounds of the world around you."

TK could feel hot tears running down his face. "And just how can I do that? I can't even face my friends now."

Oikawa placed his hand on TK's shoulder, then drew him close into a hug. It would have been awkward given their history and brief relationship, but right now TK needed some act of warmth from another human. He clung to Oikawa as his knees started to weaken. Oikawa said, "You still call them your friends, which shows that you haven't given up on being a part of their lives. I think that you'll be surprised how ready they are to welcome you back with open arms. They will be shy at first, but in time you will see that they want to hold on to you for the rest of their lives and never let you fade away. They will be the ones to help you overcome your inner torment and ensure the Digimon Emperor's complete defeat. He will never return as long as you are honest with yourself and others."

"I… I can't face them."

"You may find that they face you first. When your school starts up again, go and be sure to see them. You will not be disappointed." Oikawa helped TK back to his feet and stepped away. "I'm sorry, but Datirimon and I cannot stay any longer. There are many confused and angry Digimon returning home now and I have much work to do. I will check in with you. If anyone understands what you are going through, I do." He picked up Datirimon, waved farewell to TK, and vanished into the night's sky. The fire burned for the rest of the night, alone.

School wouldn't start up again that year. All students were given a passing grade and told to work out their personal affairs and to prepare for the high school entrance exams. TK spent the time studying in his room, barely speaking to his mother or Patamon. He could see in Patamon's eyes that there was no resentment, no grudge. Patamon felt for TK and wanted him to know that his partner would be there when he was ready to speak. TK wasn't sure that time would ever come.

He hadn't spoken with his friends in three weeks. They had called after a week and a half of waiting, but he couldn't talk to them yet. His mother almost pleaded with him to answer the phone, but he didn't—couldn't—talk to them yet.

So when Davis showed up on his doorstep one afternoon, TK felt almost as trapped as when he had been locked away in his own mind. Davis seemed totally at ease and greeted him with his best goofy smile. "Hey, long time no see." TK felt the need to retreat to his room but his mother and Patamon blocked his path. Both said he needed to get out a little. Davis took his shoulder and pulled him towards the outside. "C'mon, I got something I wanna show you."

Unable to escape, TK fell into step alongside Davis. Whenever he tried to slow his pace and let his friend take the lead, Davis slowed with him every time. "We've been worried about you, man." TK remained silent. What could he possibly say? "Kari's been _really _worried, you know. Every time we get together the whole group has to keep her away from the phone. We keep saying 'Give TK time'… Well, Ken and the others say that, actually. I wanted to come down and break the door down. Funny thing is Kari agreed with me. If Wormmon didn't use that Sticky Web attack of his to glue our feet to the floor-"

"But you're here now." said TK.

"Ah, he finally speaks. Yep. I came. Got a plan together and came on down to say 'hi.' Figured you had enough time to sulk and now you gotta come talk to the rest of us. We've missed you."

The words were out of TK's mouth before he could even think on them. "I don't hate you, Davis. I've never hated you."

But that was a lie, wasn't it? The Emperor had been the embodiment of that hatred, that resentment. He'd been proof that TK held foolish grudges against Davis, who now smiled and said without hesitation, "That's pretty impressive. I mean, I've thought I hated you like several hundred times now." TK's confusion and surprise made Davis laugh. Not a mocking laugh or a maniacal laugh. More like this was all just a silly misunderstanding and there was no harm done.

"Come on, TK. Remember how steamed I used to get when I saw you and Kari together? Or when you always said 'no' to my plans? I don't hate you, but there were times where I was really ticked off. That doesn't mean we're not friends." He gave TK a light slap on the back. "You gotta take yourself less seriously. You'll fry your brains at this rate. It's time to loosen up and stop blaming yourself."

Stop blaming himself for what? For the fact that the streets were so deserted? For the fact that people were still fearing another Digimon raid and stayed behind locked doors? For the fact that most people had moved out of the city with nothing but the clothes on their backs? For the fact that anti-Digimon sentiments were at an all time high? Yeah, why should he blame himself for things that were all his fault?

Davis held his hand up to the side of TK's head and flicked his finger against TK's temple. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're thinking too much again. It's all over your face. 'All my fault.' 'I'm the bad guy.' You're wrong, both times. Daemon did all this. You've got issues, there's no denying that, but you're nowhere near as bad as Daemon."

TK looked at his feet. "People are dead because-"

"Because some lame 'I'm-so-evil' Digimon thought he could use people to get what he wanted and high-jacked your body. And you didn't order ChaosWarGreymon to start lobbing attacks everywhere, or for ChaosImperialdramon to fire those blasts. They chose to do it."

"But I created them!"

"_Daemon_ created them. He's the one who started all this. He's the one that got the ball rollin'. I'm gonna say this again because you didn't hear me last time." He took a deep breath and nearly shouted in TK's ear. "It's NOT your fault."

TK grinned sheepishly, rubbing his ear. Only Davis could make ear trauma feel like friendship. "Where exactly are we going?"

"To see a friend." Davis was being unusually tight-lipped.

They continued onward through the streets and TK couldn't help but notice they were traveling away from the scenes of the last night's battle. The whole time they didn't bump into another soul, human or Digimon. The fact that Davis didn't have DemiVeemon with him showed just how hesitant everyone was to have a Digimon appear in public. Who knew what the Digimon were thinking. There was such hatred on both sides for wrongs committed by a just a few individuals. Yet those acts of cruelty and hate had overshadowed every noble and kind deed in the last few years. How was it that one drop of darkness could paint a whole world evil in the eyes of others?

They came upon a park, one that had survived decimation by ChaosImperialdramon. Looking at it reminded TK of the night he had Kari and fallen below the ground, cut off from hope of rescue and forced to keep one step ahead of an evil, titanic dragon. Those memories were made all the more vibrant by the figure waiting by the entrance.

Davis grinned proudly at TK's surprise. "Kari wanted to come get you herself, but I figured we needed a more direct approach. She's way too gentle. So I dragged you here and now… well… bye." He turned to go.

"Wait!" TK grabbed his arms. "I… I can't see her. Not alone, anyway."

"Tough luck, pal. Kari wanted a one-on-one meeting. I'm just the escort. You aren't gonna walk away with her watching, are you?"

How could he face her? He'd ordered the Chaos Generals to kill her. He'd strangled her neck with his own hands. He didn't deserve to breathe the same air as she, must less talk to her. "I might…"

"Hey, TK, look at that." Davis pointed to a closed shop across the street. There was nothing remarkable or attractive about it. TK didn't understand why Davis had pointed him in that direction. Then Davis slapped him in the back of the head.

"Ow! Now what?"

"Are you _crazy_?" Davis demanded. "If I had a girl like Kari waiting for me, I'd have sprinted down here half-an-hour ago! I don't care what issues you've got; if you pass up this chance and walk away, you're gonna regret it forever. And if I have to knock you out and drag you over to Kari, then I will. 'Cause that's the kind of friend I am!" Again, only Davis could make abuse sound so… friendly.

"You're not...?"

"Jealous. I'm jealous like crazy!. Like I said, if Kari were waiting for me I'd have been here already!" He shrugged. "But she's been worryin' about you and only you since this whole mess started." He shrugged. "Me and her… I guess it ain't gonna happen. I'm not bitter or anything. I gave it my all, so I got nothing to regret. I'll find someone just as good as Kari, maybe even better." He turned to go.

"You're the best, Davis." TK said. "I want to you know that."

"I know, I know. Now move it or I really will slug ya." He gave TK a little shove towards Kari then walked in the opposite direction.

TK stood for what seemed like an eternity. What was he supposed to say? Do? He'd ordered two creatures born from the Dark Ocean to kill Kari, now he was supposed to greet her like nothing had happened? Hi, Kari, how ya been? No scars or nightmares from those two sickos I sent after you? Well, that's good. Have a nice day!

Next thing he knew Kari was almost next to him. He'd been so busy thinking he'd lost focus on her. The look she gave him was beyond this world. No hatred, no grudges, no hesitation. Not even pity, for she already knew that TK didn't want to be pitied. Truthfully, he wanted to disappear entirely; just vanish from existence. Kari knew that too. That was what she was looking at him with such concern. Those eyes… how could anyone show that much affection with just one look?

"Hi, TK…"

"Hey…"

"We haven't heard from you in a while. I was starting to worry." She grinned. "Davis nearly broke down several doors before everyone else held him back."

TK chuckled a little. "Yeah, he mentioned something about that. Said you were right behind him."

"I would have come with him to get you, but he insisted I stay here. I wasn't quite sure what he was planning, but now I see and I have to say it's not something I'd expect from him."

TK laughed again, nervous this time. "No kidding… he said that if I had a girl like you waiting for _him_, he'd have been down here half-an-hour ago. He's gotten this weird idea that you like me." Don't say it. Don't say it.

"I do like you, a lot." It was strange how saying that could make him so joyful yet so ashamed. Kari continued, "We've… we've been through so much together. Not just our adventures in the Digital World, but also in our normal lives. You've been such a constant throughout my life, and whenever I've needed you, you've been there for me. When I'm with you, I feel stronger. It was because of that strength that I could help free you from the Emperor. Now that all this is over, I want to be there for you; to help you heal. You don't have to shoulder this burden alone."

"Yes I do! It was my fault, so I-"

"It was _not_ your fault!" Kari said with surprising certainty. TK had never seen her this stern in her life. "You didn't wish any of this to happen, TK. You fought to prevent it and you fought to avenge everyone who was lost. You didn't delight in any of the destruction, or the loss of life. It horrified you, which shows what a good person you are. You're a victim, just like so many other people. And like all victims, you shouldn't have to be alone and you certainly shouldn't feel alone. Let me help." She placed her hand on his. It was warm and soft, draining away most of the hesitation and fear in TK's body.

"I've seen you looking at me for a while now, and I think you've noticed me looking at you. I'm not saying 'let's get married' or anything like that, but let' see what happens. We've come so close to losing everything; I don't want to miss any chance to tell you how I feel."

He wanted this so badly. He hadn't realized it until now but more than anything he wanted to make sure Kari stayed a part of his life. She was a constant for him as well and he didn't want her to slip away as he felt his brother and father had. He wasn't ready to declare marriage either. Maybe it was love, or maybe it was a closeness beyond that bond. Whatever the relationship, TK wanted to keep it. "I don't deserve you, Kari."

She leaned forward, and slowly, shyly kissed him on the cheek. "Let me be the judge of that." She took his hand in both of hers. "Let's go for a walk. A very nice, quiet, peaceful walk. You don't have to say anything, but when you are ready to talk, I'll listen."

Filled with boy joy and sorrow, hope and regret; the future uncertain and the past a mixture of tragedy and triumph, TK let Kari lead him farther into the park. They would walk together for a long time.

The End

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Final Note: Well, that's that. Time to get back to other things. My current project is a Zoids fan fic called "Battle Dawn" which is coming along pretty well. I've also received some requests for a sequel to "The Outcast". I'm going to focus on "Battle Dawn" for a while, but I've got a sequel planned in my head and will hopefully get it on paper soon. Thanks so much for reading this story and feel free to leave a review.


End file.
